First-Year Class Recommendation: Intro to American Politics
If you’re looking for first-year class recommendations at Barnard, look no further than Introduction to American Politics. Taught by Professor Michael Miller, this is a popular and very insightful class at Barnard, whether or not you are interested in studying Political Science. As stated in the very first lecture, the government is all around us and we are subjected to its reach one way or another, so understanding how it operates is essential knowledge. Since this is an intro class, some information may feel repetitive if you've taken a class like APUSH or A.P. Government in previous years, but even so, there is a lot to gain from this class. I took itin Spring 2020, during which the Democratic Primary elections were taking place, and as an eighteen year old looking forward to the first elections that she would be voting in, I loved being in the class. Professor Miller made sure to provide information about voting, the primaries, his predictions, and how we should observe and engage in these elections and in our communities.
It is also important to note that even though this is a very large class, the lectures were consistently interesting and engaging, mainly because of Prof. Miller’s style of lecturing. He makes sure to involve students as much as he can in a large class, includes jokes throughout the lecture, and ensures the flow of information is always seamless and engaging. These classes also require that students take discussion sections with a TA, so there is always an opportunity to review and discuss the material in a smaller class setting.
As for content, Professor Miller provides historical background and encourages us to think critically about popular arguments and American politics/institutions as a whole. A few topics I enjoyed learning about were civil liberties, representation in government, legal precedents and frameworks, and understanding the federal bureaucracy. In discussion sections, we also debated different aspects of American politics including the two-party system, the electoral college, terms for supreme court justices, and more.
During this incredibly important election year, I constantly find myself pulling information from my American politics lectures and discussions as I watch presidential debates, read the news, research different issues and candidates, and prepare to head to the polls. I believe that this class could be a great introduction to college lecture classes for first year students.