Sabato is a legend. Great professor and not too difficult of a class. While the material itself is very similar to that of AP Gov, Sabato brings in very cool and notable speakers that make the class extremely memorable

This class was a UVA institution. Larry Sabato is a legend. It was a privilege to be a part of Professor Sabato's last "Intro" class and it will definitely go down as one of my favorite experiences at UVA. The course was about as difficult as an AP Gov't class. Lectures were twice a week and consisted of Sabato cracking jokes about politicians and government (in a bipartisan way) and sharing his wealth of experience in American politics. At first, he comes across as arrogant and only talking about himself. However, once one realizes that he simply has a rich career with many incredible experiences and connections that he simply wants to share with his class, one discovers how great of a man Sabato is. Homework consisted of reading the textbook, as well as two fascinating and excellent books written by Sabato himself. There are midterm and final exams, as well as a totally manageable 6-page paper. Discussion is also once a week, and my discussion points were awarded according to participation. Emily was both the head TA and my section TA, and she was excellent. Every discussion was an exhilarating debate about specific aspects of American politics, and Emily both encouraged all viewpoints and was often better at articulating a view than the person raising it. These discussions really allowed us to think critically about the topic at hand, and remained very civil despite the fact that they were essentially political debates. Now for the real meat of the class: the guest speakers. Over the course of the semester, Sabato draws from his connections some of the most prominent and influential voices in American politics to teach us about their experiences and our government as a whole. This semester, we were visited by Senators Ted Cruz and Tim Kaine, Governor Lincoln Chafee of RI, the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Matt Olsen, Virginia Supreme Court Justice Bill Mims, and CBS correspondent Wyatt Andrews. And though Sabato was unable to bring us a surprise visit by President Obama while he was in C'ville, we did have a surprise visit by Governor Terry McAuliffe in honor of Professor Sabato's last class. Speaking of that last class, Sabato sure knows how to throw a political "party." In addition to the Governor, we were visited by one of the most world-renowned Thomas Jefferson impersonators. After class, Sabato proceeded to throw a party complete with pizza, cake, Center for Politics t-shirts and, of course, "Politics is a Good Thing" stickers. This class is an experience I will never forget, and I would absolutely recommend any courses taught by Professor Sabato in the future.

Not a particularly difficult class. Lectures are pretty irrelevant if you read the book, most of the explanation comes down to discussions. Great guest lectures from really powerful people. Lauren is a great TA

I agree with the guy above. This course is definitely not your traditional intro class that surveys all the basics. And while it might be very appealing to a certain type of people, it is not for someone who simply wanted have a taste of the subject. It is more like Sabato's Talk Show and the most substantial materials are shoved to the TAs. As a international student and politics major, I found the format kind of frustrating. Especially in discussion sessions, cuz lots of the topics require you to relate to your personal involvement in certain aspects of american politics. All in all, I this is a class is more like the professor selling you his opinion. If you want academics, you might want to try something else.

Sabato's class is not the typical introductory class like I had expected. He has many guest speakers, who are senators, gubernatorial candidates, etc. which can be very appealing to someone who already has a strong interest in politics. I did not already have this strong interest in politics aside from wanting to learn a bit more about the American political system. I found this class did not suit me well at all, as it catered more to people who wanted to listen to the guest speakers or hear about Sabato's opinions on the shortcomings of the current state of American politics. However, I did thoroughly enjoy my TA John York in discussion section, as he would teach the material I had come to learn about in a very engaging fashion. If you take the class, go with John.

This class was an experience. It's not a traditional introduction to American politics, in terms of theory and that level. It's more Sabato talking about politics, which is worthwhile. Nothing about the class is difficult, if you put in sufficient effort - which isn't a lot. The guest speakers alone make everything worth it, and they're always interesting. Matt Scroggs was a good TA, despite not being an American politics person. Overall, definitely worth taking with Sabato, even if you did AP US Government in high school.

A really fun class. Guest speakers are awesome. try to take it during a election year. John York is an awesome TA.

overrated, but gives you a good foundation

If you've taken AP Gov in high school this class shouldn't be too hard. Most will be review. However, the class is worthwhile because of the guest speakers and the solid review it provides if you’re interested in taking further courses in American Politics. I felt like there was a lot of reading for an intro level course. If you've taken AP Gov you can get away with skimming the textbook, but you have to read the other assigned books since they do show up on the Final and in the one six page paper. Overall, a decent class.

He never taught what was going to be on the midterm, it was annoying. Danny was never really prepared for anything.

Justin Peck is a good TA i had him for PLAP 3700 and he is good at initiating conversations and making the topics interesting.