Fall 2026

Race and American Politics From the New Deal to the New Right

Survey of the decisive role played by race in American politics, 1932-present.

offering recorded3 credits
Recorded instructors · Fall 2026 Alexander Shashko4.8/5

Summary

1 / 6

Workload varies by term. Some students found exams comprehensive and time-consuming, while others noted fewer papers and manageable grading. One reviewer warned against expecting an easy grade, while others found the structure reasonable.

Grade history

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average GPA
letter grades
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All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors

Prerequisites

Course map

None

  • None
AFROAMER 272

This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.

Prerequisite text tree
  • None

Professors

Fall 2026

Alexander Shashko

/5Adjusted rating
/5RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 4.87/5 from 201 quality ratings. The adjusted rating blends this with the UW review average (3.66/5), weighted as 20 additional ratings. Smaller samples stay closer to that average. Each captured review is counted once in the prior; this does not correct who chooses to leave a review.

For this course: 4.4/5 raw quality · 2.2/5 difficulty · 12 reviews

RMP profile ↗ · All captured review dates; profile matched by name.

Alexander Shashko is praised as an engaging, enthusiastic lecturer with deep subject knowledge. Reviewers describe him as one of the best instructors at UW, noting his clear explanations and ability to answer questions effectively.

Some students find the course difficult and time-consuming, with tests requiring significant memorization. While lectures can be boring, the class is not considered easy for grades.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 3.96 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=25 letter grades); Fall 2025: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=26 letter grades); Spring 2026: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=29 letter grades).

Historical instructors & teaching patterns

ALEXANDER SHASHKO is recorded teaching in Fall 2006, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015, Spring 2016, Fall 2016, Spring 2017, Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Spring 2019, Fall 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Fall 2025, Spring 2026. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.

Calendar & sections

Fall 2026

Schedule loads here as you scroll.

SectionModeEnrolled / capacityWaitlist
LEC 001Classroom Instruction37 / 302

Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections. Enrollment reflects scan time.

Meeting source records
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Student experience

the class

Alexander Shashko is described by reviewers as an enthusiastic and knowledgeable lecturer who makes the material engaging. Students report that his clear explanations and passion for the subject matter make the class interesting and worthwhile.

Recent recorded grades — Spring 2025: 3.96 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=25 letter grades); Fall 2025: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=26 letter grades); Spring 2026: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=29 letter grades).

difficulty & workload

Workload varies by term. Some students found exams comprehensive and time-consuming, while others noted fewer papers and manageable grading. One reviewer warned against expecting an easy grade, while others found the structure reasonable.

Students appreciate the engaging lectures and clear explanations, though some found the format less interactive due to prerecorded content. Many recommend the class for its engaging delivery and the professor's helpfulness, despite varying perceptions of difficulty.

Topics

  • Second Reconstruction, Black Power, white backlash, contemporary racial politics

Grades

Latest available · Spring 2026— not enough history to project Fall 2026.

average GPA
A / AB grades
letter grades
Instructor

Grade distribution · % of letter grades

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AB
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Grades over time

Through Spring 2026

More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data

Not enough comparable courses for Fall 2026 in UW–Madison.

Sources & history

UW–Madison

Catalog & offerings

Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.

Catalog observation history

Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.

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Selected offering source records
AFROAMER 272 · Fall 2026

Race and American Politics from the New Deal to the New Right

Recorded 2026-09-07
Raw records
[
  {
    "run_id": "20260907T155543-ce3781c4",
    "semester": "1272",
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00",
    "offering_id": "1272:106:021950",
    "course_id": "AFROAMER 272",
    "course_uid": "course_0cef1b0782ff41cc219c17e7",
    "term_id": "1272",
    "source_course_id": "021950",
    "source_subject_id": "106",
    "title": "Race and American Politics from the New Deal to the New Right",
    "credits_min": 3,
    "credits_max": 3,
    "typically_offered": "Spring"
  }
]
Rate My Professors

Student reviews

Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.

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Madgrades

Grade history

Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.

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Dataset & model

Recorded 2026-09-07

Download the original dataset
Model outputs & technical records
nvidia/Qwen3.6-35B-A3B-NVFP4
LLM outputs across runs
Download part 1
Full model traces

Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.

Download part 1
Model & dataset provenance
{
  "model": "nvidia/Qwen3.6-35B-A3B-NVFP4",
  "model_revision": "1355db6a052410cfd62085d94b58866fd0f2c3c5",
  "task_version": "14",
  "output_id": "31df9d438d6dc9025a824def46e1c3619cbf9d80ddcf50217690eb9bd10eca95",
  "requirements_status": "valid",
  "dataset_revision": "e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349",
  "observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00"
}