This is my second course I have had with Professor Kirkland, and I continue to enjoy taking him as a Professor. This class is entitled "State and Local Politics", but we mostly focused on state-level politics. Kirkland is a really enjoyable lecturer, and he always starts class off with asking us how we are doing and if we want to know his thoughts on anything politics-related. The grade was comprised of 3 parts: 5 2-page Research Response papers (this is a hallmark of a Kirkland class), a 24-hour midterm, and a 24-hour final. The response papers are graded on a contract system, and you receive a 100 if you meet a minimum standard of work. You can also turn them in at any point in the semester. The midterm and final were 24 hour take home essays and he gave the prompts out a week in advance. This may change for the next time he teaches the class as he tends to flip back and forth between in-class and take home. Overall, I loved the class and I would take it again. The material was really interesting and the assignments were fairly graded.