Overall it was an interesting unit, particularly the topics later in the course, and tutorials and lectures were good. However I found the early focus on the different departments and structure of the US executive, particularly through the required textbook readings, to be very dry and the level of detail that these were covered in seemed unnecessary.

Bloody brilliant unit. I learnt an amazing amount about how the US political system works and why the US did/does what it does in the Middle East. Go to every lecture, read all the readings, take advantage of the additional readings Dr Hunt puts up on blackboard... the tip for this unit is to blend theory with examples in the real world when you answer the exam questions - and remembering dates and names of 'doctrines' helps too....

A tough Govt unit due to the lack of help with preparation for the final exam, heavy readings, and detailed lecture content. Can be very tough to know what to study for. However, the essay/participation are fairly easy marks to get.