Professor Bergstrom is a great professor who is always willing to converse with his students about course material, person life, and career goals. I did not do 50% of the readings, so I know that if I did, I could have easily gotten an A+. Not an A, but an A+. He pretty much gives the exam(s) answers on his study guides. Study groups help!

hes a good teacher! I was able to pass the class without really doing much of the reading but I attended every lecture (he does short answer group quizzes in class) and I did brief reading to study up and be knowledgable and watched videos and read about the texts that interested me (actually most were pretty int.!) so I wasn't completely lost

One paper, midterm, and final. I personally found the readings helpful, but if you just take good notes for the guest lectures which usually summarize the readings, you're fine. The midterm/final have ID terms and essays. Easy A imo.

Similar to the class itself, Bergstroms lectures can be all over the place at times leaving you stuck with the reading to really grasp whats going onand boy is it a lot of reading. Attending the guest lectures and reading are easily the most important parts of this class. I wouldnt recommend you take this class unless youre required to do so.

It's a tough course but extremely rewarding. Prof. Bergstrom's own lectures are very broad and hint as to what themes of an event you should pay attention to. Most of what you learn comes from the readings and the guest lecturers. Readings are very long. Graded on midterm, final, a term paper, and participation. TA was unhelpful.

Bergstom is an amazing dude and I have loved being his student. It's obvious he's passionate about the subject and teaching it to us. However, he's not a good lecturer. It's super disorganized and hard to follow. You don't actually have to do the readings, just pay attention in guest lectures... don't waste your time there.

Lectures make no sense... rambles on wayyyy too much.

He is a decent lecturer but at times he would ramble or pause too frequently for questions. The material is really interesting especially if you are interested in possibly working in government later in life. Be sure to study well in advance for the midterm and final since he can be a tough grader.

Literally the worst professor at UCSB. This class was so unorganized and he expected you to know every detail of every case, even though they were so confusing. His analysis is meaningless, the guest lectures are the only thing you need. He made me seriously consider dropping the history major. Take at your own risk. Hardest class I've taken here

Very nice guy, but lectures were most disorganized I've ever seen and there was no continuity between them. He focused too much on big picture stuff and always put a bunch of analytical questions on his slides without answering them. Never really explained the cases we studied had great issues in public policy, which was literally the class title.

Literally the worst professor in the history department. A complete lack of understanding for student responsibility and careless lectures. Terrible grader and terribly disorganized. Absolutely do not take this professor, no matter how much you need a course in history; save yourself.

Not a bad dude, his lectures just weren't the most interesting or easy to follow. Lots of jumping around on slides that don't have enough text/aren't relevant to what he's actually talking about. Focuses on the big picture too much and forgets to cover the actual names/dates. Pretty heavy reading, and tests were almost identical to study guides!

Bergstrom is a really nice guy but an awful lecturer. The midterm and final are based on IDs and essays and are pretty easy. Honestly though your TA will make or break your grade so just hope you get a good one.

He's a very intelligent man but his lectures are boring, hard to follow, and have nothing to do with what's in the book. There is a lot of reading but if you know the basics, you'll do fine on the midterm and final.

Bergstrom is not a good lecturer, period. He rarely ever speaks on specifics, mostly just talking about generalities that he believes in and failing to put any evidence for the generalities he talks in circles about. The midterm and final for this class were easy and just based on general knowledge you probably already had from highschool.

Worst history professor I have ever had. Lectures are unclear, boring, and convoluted. Horrible midterm format as well. Pray for a good TA as well because my TA is practically useless.

I would rather OD on yerb than listen to this dude speak. Bergstorm is the epitome of terrible dad jokes gone wrong. Even my grandma who is like 85 has a sense of humor. Other than that, easy A, just do the readings and review notes at the end of each lecture.

Bergstrom is a true gent. Very entertaining, effusive fellow. Engages with students during lecture, and assigns readings that most social science junkies would find interesting or better. Slow grader, but grades with a civil hand. It was an honor to take a class with him.

Really cool professor, the structure of the course is super engaging and gives you so much info on so many different topics. Professor is really engaging and witty, makes going to class 100% worth it, highly recommend!

love Bergstrom! I used to hate history just cause I didn't know how to read and study for it, but his teachings have made it way more clear and I actually somewhat like reading history now :)

Bergstrom sucks because he talks in circles about material he has no mastery of. The guest lecturers are the way to go, and provide the info needed to pass. Never cuts to the chase during lecture and is ambiguous about what he's looking for because the content is so broad. I've never had to read so much for another class. Not a fan.

Awesome teacher. He likes when the students participate and engage in the material. The midterm and final were easy and not graded harshly. I would recommend for any major to take this class, it was hands down the best class I have taken at UCSB.

I am not a psychology major so this class was hard for me. There is a midterm and final and participation counts. He is funny but his lectures get boring. The subject itself wasn't interesting but a nice guy to know.

This professor is great! He really wants students to do well. There is one midterm and one final and participation counts. I am not an history major so I had to work a little more to get through., but he is willing to help you get better and adjust to your schedule! Nice guy