VERY GOOD TEACHER, FAIR EXAMS

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By far the best Polisci teacher at Rutgers...Fair and Balanced: The Fox News of Teachers =)

Great teacher. Makes it interesting.

Great teacher, one of the best at political science. If you want to come out knowing political science so you can get a good job, he is the man you want to talk to.

Lets not get carried away. the exams are fair, he's by far not the greatest. if you want great take rhodes. baker just reads off these papers. he is bearable and an easy a- the ta's were great.

awesome professor!

very easy!

What are you talking about...He's a good professor, but the Poli Sci department has a lot of great professors, a lot much better than him. And Fox News of teaching...are you on drugs?

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the fox news is not fair and balanced-they are way conservative and bigoted. but baker is cool, good class, interesting and he brings in guest speakers.

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Don't take him if you can't handle boring professors - he actually read to us from the phone book one day

Boring. Do not go to class tired. Easy class though.

Has a really hot daughter. Hiya Sally!

Obvious he's an awesome person. Experienced and knows his stuff. Although as a professor, he can get boring. Don't know how these people stand it. Learned a great deal in that class, which is all that matters. Grades unfairly (no curve.) Very helpful TAs.

nice eyes

He's a pretty good professor...class is kinda easy...exams aren't too bad...TA's help a lot to prepare you for exams...plus Tim the TA is hot!

Even though he is an average bleeding heart liberal college professor, I don't find myself gagging from his uneducated leftist views. Instead I find a man that can be balanced in front of a polisci class (unlike most liberal newsmen.

Baker is truly an expert with an in depth understanding of a wide variety of political topics. He brings in congressmen as guest speakers and is unbiased. He is obvious he is one of the foremost congressional politics experts in the usa

Very knowledgeable professor. Clearly is an expert in this field. Exams are fairly easy, TA's are very good and helpful. Should be able to get at least a B with minimal work.

Class was very boring. slept all the time in it. But just do the reading and you will do fine. His exams are cake walk. The essays in the exams he will tell you in lecture so find someone who goes to lecture to get their notes. It will help a lot.

Tim the TA IS hot!! ha ha

He's a great guy, very helpful, funny and the class wasn't too bad, except my T.A was terrible and didn't care about us, and graded us badly, but Baker is the man!!

Very good teacher, but should write more on the board. It helps if you can write down every word he says. That's why I record his lectures.

I never went to a single lecture or read any of the readings since they were all his own books and had nothing to do with governement and got an A. Your grade is based on a midterm and final and both are 10 word vocab tests. The TAs are only useful to find out what the final essay is.

His lectures really have no format. It's basically him talking about whatever. But it's really interesting.

Very Easy, Knows everyone in politics

prof baker was awesome...his lectures were usually interesting and the TAs were very helpful. the midterm and final were both very easy--seems to be an easy A to me! highly recommend this course

Great Lectures, readings are easy and interesting, one final and midterm and he gives a review sheet. Recommended class.

He knows the Congress inside out and tells great jokes/anecdotes about various Senators and Reps. Final and midterm are easy as long as you do the readings or listen to his rambling lectures. Very loosely formatted, but excellent class.

His class was very easy. His tests were simple as lon as you had a basic knowelegde of the matieral. He knows what he is talking about and has tons of interesting stories.

hes an awesome prof, and his tests are REALLY easy. hes very knowledgable and friendly, and has lots of interesting stories to go with his lectures. The TAs are also really helpful.

I have to disagree with the last comments made. Prof. Baker is a great scholar who is an expert in Congress. His book is very interesting and well-researched. His lectures are always interesting, full of unique insight and little anecdotes. It's great to have a prof. who knows what hes talking about

class is easy, nice guy, lectures can be very boring

good class, really have to do the reading and go to class to do well on the midterm and final.

great teacher, great class!! definitely have to do the readings and it helps to go to class. his grader is pretty tough and expects lots of details on exams!

Very cool teacher.. all u need to do for the exams is go to class take good notes (these notes will be EXTEREMELY helpful for the essay portion of the test) and then those vocab words (which will be the other portion of the test, STUDY those!) = that is ur exam. No need to read the books.. just textbook for the defintion of the vocab words.

This class was very easy, but I learned a lot. I really only went about 5 or 6 times, and I pulled off an A on the final when I barely studied. Most of what you need to know is in the textbook, read maybe a page or three of the other books LOL. Nice guy, makes an effort to help everyone understand topics in the class.

Wow! I mean just Wow! I feel sorry for all those people who didn't go to class because this man makes American politics FUN. He's an amazing lecturer with the capablility to teach the material on real life experiences. It the professors like him that make putting up with less qualified professors worth the agrivation. I'd take any class he taught.

baker is the coolest dude, he is an insider that knows his****. the class is boring at times because he tends to ramble, but i recommend it. awesome dude that knows his****... try and get a good TA that hooks u up

Two exams and recitation. GO TO ALL RECITATION EASY GRADE BOOST. Its a good amount of chapters to read, but if u do u'll define the list of terms he gives you and be ready to get a b+, or in my case A

Ok, i went to lecture all of 3 times in the semester...but i went to all recitations. Make sure you go to those bc the TA's assign dinky homework assignments and even give quizzes. I got like C's on the quizzes but i did good on the exams....this class is a simply easy A. I got an A with only attending class 3 times!! Take it to boost your gpa!

Baker seems like a nice guy, however, his lectures tend to be boring. I don't know why everyone says it's an easy A, either, because you have to do a good amount of work to get the A (silly assignments, essays, and tons of memorization). The exams are difficult in my opinion because it's tons of writing...

Real nice and REAL smart guy. Just know the terms they give you on a list and skim some of the books and you'll do fine. Don't really need to go to the classes. Not too challenging at all.

Interesting class. Two test. Read the books and define the terms. GO TO RECITATION AND DO HW! It's a really easy course, and i definitely learned a lot.

This guy is amazing! Too bad his essay exams were the worst way to measure your knowledge. The vocab words are specific! If you like congress (and he likes congress) this is the class for you, he's an expert. The recitations were horrible though. You also only need to read one book per exam, but know it well, you'll have to write an essay.

Great professor. Really knows his stuff. Very similar with American Gov't class but more detailed and grades harder. Two exams and no other chance to bring up your grade if you mess up. Not an easy A class but very worth taking.

i got a B. missed many of his lectures but attended all recitation. do the readings and get an A. lecture is VERY VERY VERY boring. he speaks in monotone. good luck.

Great teacher knows endless amount about the governemnt. Exams are written but mostly from lectures. I got an A without ever reading the book

Not a difficult class, especially if you have a good TA who will hook you up (I had Anna, she's tough but she rocks). Keep up with the reading- it's more important than you think. As for lecture, he tries to keep it interesting, but it can sort of drag.

The man knows EVERYTHING about the House and Senate. He tries to make the lectures interesting and relate the material to us. If you get a good TA they can help you. READ READ READ! Define vocab words, it helps.

Took Congressional Politics and Amer Studies, both fairly easy and interesting. TA for AS helps a lot, and recitation improves your grade. Boring to listen to, but the exams are pretty easy. Grades them fairly, and there's questions from the book and from the lectures. I got by on just lecture questions and didn't read the books.

Great Professor. Baker knows so much about Congress and one can tell he really enjoys teaching and sharing his experiences. The TA's were great and it was an overall amazing first experiecne, I look forward to taking congressional politics with professor Baker.

He is a great Professor! Pretty good lecturer, but if your not interested in the material he may not hold your attention the whole time. GO TO RECITATION!!!! Exams are great amd thats where you get the exam review. Just study that and you'll get at least a B if not an A. He is also very approcahable if you have any questions.

Baker is an awesome professor- if you're interested in American Gov't then you absolutely must take his class. Gives very in depth and interesting lectures, readings aren't too bad, and exams are easy if you know what you're talking about. Highly recommended.

Professor Baker is by far one of the best poli sci professors at Rutgers. He really knows his stuff about Congress, and you learn a hell of a lot in his class.

Any Prof. that can reference Black Sabbath and Britney Spears within the same week is AWESOME in my book! 2 exams and easy 2Ques quizzes during recitation. Gives a Review sheet that tells u what u need to kno from book. DO THE READINGS! Strangers on a Hill (which he wrote) is an EZ read. Really wants u to succeed & is charming and funny.

Tells interesting stories with a lot of passion. Big lecture hall made the TAs more useful for questions but he seemed accessible. One midterm , one final, both of which have review sheets that explain the whole exam. Great class.

Baker is a brilliant professor who obviously loves to teach. He speaks with such passion about his subjects that it's hard not to love them too. Lecture is not mandatory, recitation is- but lecture is the best part! He's friendly and approachable on top of that. He's known as one of the best poli sci professors Rutgers has for a reason.

Very smart with a huge passion for what he does. I have to say that he is one the best teachers I have had in all of my schooling. Go to class and pay some attention but most of the material comes from the book, just keep up to date with the reading and youll do fine.

Best professor ever! Brighting, interesting, easy. Just take good notes for memorize the information. Exams are EASY! Just show up to class and you don't have to read. But RECITATIONS. are a must with his TAs. DONT GO LATE TO RECITATIONS. Recitations are easy points. Participate in them.

great teacher. really knows his stuff. he is really funny too. go to class and do the reading and you should get at least a B.

this class is amzing. baker is the man and a great teacher. take this class

Prof Baker is intelligent & very nice. He has a genuine interest in what he is teaching and has the experience to back it up. He gives you a term sheet for the exams, which are not hard, but you should study (mostly id's) You should have an interest in the subject or you will not be able to stay awake Otherwise Baker is great and def has my respect

Ross Baker is AMAZINGlY intelligent and you can grasp his passion for the subject through his words. Lectures are not mandantory but recitiations are! take this class! great political science fulfillment

not sure if its 101. easy class. to be honest i didnt go to any lecture but MUST go to every recitation, do the readings or youll feel retarded in rec. there are 3 ques quizzes every time. not bad since every other week. easy midterm and final, just IDs that he gives a list of. plus extra credit essay option to bring up midterm 10 pts :) take!

A very easy class. Baker is an intelligent professor who really knows a lot about the subject. Lectures aren't mandatory, but are informative, and sometimes referred to on recitation quizzes, so it's good to go every once in a while. Occasionally the lectures are dry, but if you like American history and government you will enjoy it. Awesome class!

brilliant man, if you miss his lectures your missing out. if you want to know what its like to hear a master of his craft speak about it, than this is a good opportunity. exams are easy, and the t.a. i had was great.

Baker is absolutely amazing. He's a good guy and his lecture is very interesting. He's crystal-clear in his explanations. Watch your TAs, though-- I got stuck with a terrible one all semester, but the other ones are so good!

Baker is quite possibly the nicest guy EVER! He is so interested in the subject matter and it really shows, plus he is a wealth of information. very helpful. I loved coming to class and learned a lot. take any class you can with him!

Took Baker for American Government. Class is really easy because for Midterm and Final, TA's give you a list of definitions and all you have to do is memorize them. The lectures are painfully boring and to be honest all you have to do is go to every recitation and you'll be fine. Recitation once every other week with easy quizzes. Take this class

I took Baker for Congressional Politics. He mixes movies, speakers, and notes, so it's an interesting class if you're a poli sci major. Two exams: Midterm 40% and Final 60%, which may seem intimidating, but most info is from lectures, which aren't overwhelming at all, and if you skim the book for thoroughly-covered terms, you're golden. Easy A.

Great speaker

Prof. Baker is a very nice guy! He really loves the material! Your grade is based on a midterm and final (40%/ 60%). Although some days might be more dry than others Baker tries really hard to get you intrested in the topic for the day. If you are a Poli Sci major or minor make sure to check out Baker. Take Congressional Poiltics with him!

American Government: I was not a fan of the fact that the course was not listed on Sakai, which in my opinion would have make the course easier to keep up with. I also would have preferred more than just two exams, because if you screw up the first one, you have little shot at getting the grade you want. A little too "old-school" for my taste.

Lectures painfully boring, just go to recitations - very helpful. Study guides are a bit ridiculous: approx 50-60 vocab terms and only 12 are on the exam, plus 1 essay on the extra reading. Material basically all memorization-if you have no interest in govt, can be difficult. TA Kevin was helpful in class, but is really bad with replying to emails.

Prof. Baker is absolutely wonderful. He is extremely intelligent, funny ("lady gaga bleeds American politics),and a fair grader. Two exams: midterm 40%, and final 60% but if you go to lecture and skim the text you're more than fine. The class is not only very interesting but also fairly easy. Take his class! You won't regret it.

Congressional Politics is an easy class. I didn't read at all and got an A. Just go to class and take good notes. Baker isnt the best lecturer but he's not boring either. If you've already taken American Government and Interest Groups, then this class is basically a repeat of what you learn in those 2 classes.

Great class to take. Lectures usually get out early. Baker is a sweet guy and very smart. There are recitations every other week which pretty much sum up what we should know. Exams are easy because a study guide is given out. Take Am Gov with Baker!

I took AP Gov't in high school and got a 3 on the exam so I didn't get the credits for the class. My AP Gov't class was harder than Baker's class. You don't need to read or even to go his lectures, just go to recitation.

he is the best poli sci teacher at rutgers

awesome

I had him for American Government and his Baker's Dozen Seminar which was awesome, it takes place once a week at his house, where he provides lunch,we took an all expense paid trip to D.C. We met Congressmen and journalist all of whom ar Baker's friends. Baker knows almost everything about congress and displays no partisan bias in lectures

There is no need to attend the class because the TA's go over everything that you need to know for midterm and final. Overall, very easy class!

Great lecturer who tries hard to make the class interesting. Lectures are optional, but recitations are mandatory. I always went to the lectures anyway, though I probably would have gotten an A even if I stayed home. My only complaint is that sometimes I wish his lectures were more well-structured.

Great guy and teacher. Let's class out early every class. Tests are easy, recitations are easy and should go because it gives you an automatic 20 points on grade and helps to clarify the information on the test.

Very easy class. Almost never went to lecture. Go to Recitation and you WILL get an A in the class. There is a bit of light reading for the course, but nothing too serious (like a 200 page book per semester). Also if this interests you, Baker has a tendency to choose VERY cute TAs.

I took the poli sci seminar - evol of us strategic bombing policy. we watched a video every class and he lectured for about an hour at the beg of every class. Meets once a week for three hours. There is only one written final exam at the end of sem. make sure you take notes throughout and read the books to do well on the final. a lot of info!

easy A. never went to lecture. go to recitations, the TA spells out everything you need to know for the exams. 2 exams: have to define and explain 6 key terms and 1 essay. the TA tells you the key terms to know and the essay question and how to answer each part. total joke. got a 100 on both exams. GPA booster for sure.

Ok I'll be short and sweet. EASIEST CLASS YOU WILL EVER TAKE IN COLLEGE. I got an A and I think I went to one or two lectures. Just make sure you go to the recitations and take notes. 2 exams, 6 definitions each and an essay. Memorize your recitation notes and you will get an A. And TA Brittany is not bad to look at either.

I love Britney the TA. She is hot. Ross is great too.

LOL at this class, easiest class ever ahahhahaha

easiest class really I never went to lecture, only recitation which is once every two weeks, write down EVERYTHING in recitation and make sure you take TA Brittany bc she spells out whats on the exam, some other TAs dont do that. Memorize the night before exam your recitation notes!guranteed an A

First off, 'Brittany' is not there anymore. However, there is a male substitute, Flavio. He is a great TA and practically feeds you the class content. Do not attend class and let recitation guide you to your A.

I had Flavio as my TA and it will be the easiest class you'll ever take. I probably went to lecture 3 times, but still got an A. You have to go to recitation to get the notes (MEMORIZE THEM) for the midterm and final. And if a extra credit assignment is offered, do it! Other than that it's basically like a free A.

He's a pretty interesting lecturer, but no one goes to class because attendance isn't mandatory. Make sure you go to recitation. The midterm and final are essay-based so make sure you know your stuff. Otherwise, a pretty easy class.

don't buy the textbook, don't go to lecture. go to recitation, write down EVERYTHING, read the two little books and you have an A. easier than most high school classes to be honest. I don't even know what the professor looks like ..

Great professor, and very smart. Keeps class interesting with his stories. Love his style of lecturing. You do need one of the books and that is the book that Professor baker wrote himself; the other textbooks are not necessary. Great guy, takes notes, should get an A.

Prof. Baker is really intelligent and teaches you the material through his experiences in American politics. His lectures don't really cover the material you have to know, so go to recititation. The class is very easy, but Baker is a great lecturer, and I always enjoyed going, even if I didn't have to.

attendance isn't mandatory which killed me because i never went to class (which i regret). most of what you need from this class is in the recitation sections. 2 blue book tests. definitions & essay... study guide is given. definitely recommend this class but i also recommend you actually go because baker is a great lecturer and a great guy.

I didn't attend a single lecture either. I just went to every recitation, skimmed both of the small books, and studied the terms the a couple of nights before the exams and I got an A. The TAs are your saviors. Make use of them.

Prof. Baker's lectures are really interesting and he is definitely an authority on what he's talking about. He makes really good points and you learn a lot. You don't have to go to every class but you really should because you can learn a lot from him. TA's are really good, don't miss recitation. Read the book or you won't do well.

Class is easy as hell. No need to read textbook just read the small books that he assigns and complete the vocab sheet and you'll probably get an A on the exam. No need to go to lecture either but if you don't go to recitation you'll probably do bad.

Lecture can sometimes be long but attend them anyway! Grading: Midterm 40% Final 50% AttenParticipation 10%. Exams are easy) Define 5 of 8 terms and how they relate to American Gov. 2) 2 essays (4-5 pg in the little blue books) make references to lecture. 3 essays on final. GO TO RECITATION to get copy of slides! Easy A! GPA BOOSTER!

I took this course in the Fall of 2015, and I would say it was pretty easy becaue most of the material reviews United States history class material. The lectures are long and boring, but please attend as many classes as possible because everything discussed in lectures and recitations will be on the Mid-Term and Final Exam. The exams are essays.

He kinda has the Sean Connery thing going on, and his lectures are really interesting. I feel like most people got As in his class if you just go to recitation and do your reading. He gives a study guide and extra credit so they're no surprises.

I took Baker's American Government and he is fantastic. He can be a bit dry and will go on about one thing for a while but he is extremely knowledgeable about Congress and the Senate. As a political science major this is definitely a great class to take and in general a really great GPA booster. I would take him again if he taught other classes.

This man knows so much about Gov that it honestly boggles my mind. I highly recommend taking any class you can with him (as I will be doing). Also, show up to class, participation isn't mandatory or checked, but, I think it is worth your time.

Very knowledgeable, lectures can get boring but definitely are worth going to. He throws in lots of cool stories and trivia to make it interesting. You don't need to do the readings, since the TA's spell out what's going to be on the exams - so go to recitation. Pretty easygoing guy, would definitely take another class with him.

Knows a ton about government. Lectures can oftentimes get off track but they are interesting. I would recommend attending all lectures and recitations.

Baker Promises to be politically neutral and he is for the most part however he likes to slightly dig at republicans when given the chance. Regardless:easy class. Makes you buy 4 books (which of 2 or 3 he is the author) but I didn't use any of them. Go to recitation to learn what's on test. Class is boring as hell- bring laptop. Overall easy class.

Ross is a nice guy who knows what he's talking about. His lectures aren't the best way to prepare for the exams since they're almost entirely based on the readings, but he's an interesting lecturer so I still went. If you go to recitation they spell out the exam questions so if you review what they say you'll ace them.

Professor Baker is by far the best professor I've had at Rutgers. His background is fascinating - full bright scholar, writer for CNN & the Washington Post, research associate at Brookings). He truly cares about his students and wants you to succeed- and all the books for the class (3 of which he wrote) are really interesting.

prof baker is so nice and wise!! i could talk to him for hours. im taking him right now but the man knows so much about politics and government. the class is easy, basic stuff for anyone (and poli sci majors), limited rec meetings but go and participate in each one, and try to read the books he gives. they're literally the basis of the exams.

Professor Baker is very knowledgeable. But in order to do well in his seminar class, you must read the textbook and take good notes in class. No powerpoints or notes just a straight lecture. But you do watch a video almost every class and he is a very caring professor who is always willing to help!

Took this class in Fall 2020 online. Very knowledgeable and experienced professor. LOTS of reading. Really interesting though. Has 1 midterm, 1 cumulative final, and 2 short papers. Not a hard class, but need to make time to read. You can find the TB online in PDF for free. Only recommend if you are interested in the American government.

Professor Baker is one of my favorites at Rutgers. His Congressional Politics class is extremely informative and easy to follow along with. He only gives a midterm and a final which determines your grade. I would love to take him for all my political science classes. Also he has so much political experience its crazy!

Baker is great, and you will love his lectures if you are a history buff. However, TA Amy Funck has ruined this class for what it used to be: a fairly easy A with exam questions reviewed at recitation. Now, you will learn useless info not related to the exams, and you must purchase and read all of the books. Baker said no class has scored lower.

Ross is a sweetheart. He has a lot of experience and knowledge, and you can just tell this by the way he lectures. He is a very well-known man. He loves when people participate and loves to answer questions.The TA, on the other hand, is a little bit rude. She does not answer emails very nicely, but she seems like she is just doing her job.

Pretty easy class, the lectures are amazing and informative. Content is simple as well, I only hated the amount of books we had to buy.

Prof Baker is the best prof I've ever had. He is personable and genuinely cares. His class is lecture heavy, but in the best way possible. I am not a polisci major and took this as a core requirement, yet I always was so excited to go to class. Taking this course with him as my prof made me want to minor in polisci. Best prof ever.

This is the best professor I have had at Rutgers so far! He has so much to share, especially drawing from his experiences working for Congressmen, and his vast political science background. I always enjoyed going to his class.

Engaging lectures covering a wealth of insights from the professor's extensive political background. Staying on top of the readings and using tools like Unstuck AI for extra practice really helped me succeed in this class.