PUBPOL-202
POLITICAL POLARIZATION
Offered Fall 2026
Term
Instructor
Overview
Feedback is mostly positive. The strongest signal is that discussion is a clear strength. Best for students who will actually talk in class instead of sitting silent.
DepartmentPPS
Terms offeredFall
Typical enrollment30–35
Semesters of data1
2.5
Hrs / week
59
Responses
95
Enrollment
62%
Response Rate
Evaluation Scores
Overall quality
Teaching, content, and experience combined.
4.7
Intellectually stimulating
Challenges students to think deeply.
4.8
Instructor effectiveness
Explains concepts and facilitates learning.
4.7
Difficulty
Higher means harder.
2.9
Feedback Analysis
Feedback Analysismedium
Analysis based on student evaluations
Based on 53 comments across 3 sections
Feedback is mostly positive. The strongest signal is that discussion is a clear strength. Best for students who will actually talk in class instead of sitting silent.
Student Reports
How hard is the A?
A is doable but not automatic
The signal here is more do-the-work-and-you-should-be-fine than easy-A chatter. Students do not describe the A as automatic, but the evidence also does not paint grading as punishing.
Homework Load
Moderate homework load
Homework load looks moderate. The recurring signal is steady weekly work, but not a course that turns every assignment into a grind.
Lecture Load
Lighter lecture burden
Student comments describe this as more discussion-, seminar-, or workshop-driven than lecture-dependent. The lecture burden itself does not sound like the main source of friction.
Strengths
• Discussion is a clear strength; students repeatedly describe the class conversation as engaging and useful.
• Students repeatedly say the course teaches something concrete, whether that is content mastery, research skill, or a strong foundation.
Tradeoffs
• There is no single dominant complaint theme, but the feedback is not uniformly glowing either.
Best fit for
Best for students who will actually talk in class instead of sitting silent.
Student Responses
I learned more about polarizing topics in politics, such as the Israel-Palestine conflict and gun policy. I also learned about what it means to have civil discourse.
Fall 2025 · Hillen, John
I think that I have definitely developed a new way of thinking and going about discussing controversial/polarizing topics with those who have differing opinions than my own.
Fall 2025 · Hillen, John
I learned how to have improved constructive dialogue with people I disagree with. I read a ton of interesting texts from the widest variety of perspectives I've been given in any Duke course.
Fall 2025 · Hillen, John
This class emphasizes how to think over what to think, so I think first and foremost I learned how to engage with complex and nuanced issues. I also learned how to engage with people who hold different or even opposing views, a skill that will be incredibly valuable.
Fall 2025 · Hillen, John
Debate, deepening my own political philosophy, and understanding where other people's opinions come from
Fall 2025 · Hillen, John
Rating History
Rating history
Error bars show \u00B11 std dev
| Term | Instructor | Overall | Difficulty | Hrs/wk | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 | Antepli, Abdullah 3.4Rate My ProfessorsQuality3.4Difficulty3.3Would retake50%Based on 14 ratingsClick to view on RMP → | 4.7 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 95 |
Instructor
Antepli, AbdullahCLASSICAL
Also teaches
CLST-210 THE GOOD LIFEPUBPOL-302D POL CHOICE/VAL CONFLICT4.2PUBPOL-390T BASS CONNECTIONS SPECIAL TOPIC4.8