Russian Politics
Russian Politics explores the theory and practice of Russian states, emphasizing political, economic, and institutional developments since 1991.
Summary
Past student reviews · Kathryn Hendley
The workload included two fairly easy papers and extensive assigned readings for each class. Exams were described as tough, requiring in-depth essay responses, and were heavily focused on lecture material.
What you’ll be able to do
Increase knowledge of the trajectory of political life in Russia from 1917 through the present.
Learn the theoretical and institutional underpinnings of democracy, markets and the rule of law, and how to structure an argument as to the presence or absence of these institutions.
Improve oral advocacy skills through classroom discussion.
Assess the state of a body of scholarly literature related to course themes, identify gaps in that literature, and formulate an original research question in the context of those gaps.
Source: UW Guide
Grade history
↗All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors
Prerequisites
Course mapSophomore standing
- Sophomore standing
This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.
Prerequisite text tree
- Sophomore standing
Professors
Spring 2027No instructors recorded for this selection.
Historical instructors & teaching patterns
KATHRYN HENDLEY is recorded teaching in Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Fall 2019, Fall 2022, Fall 2024, Fall 2025. 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
Spring 2027Schedule loads here as you scroll.
| Section | Mode | Enrolled / capacity | Waitlist |
|---|
Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections.
Meeting source records
Student experience
the class
Past student reviews · Kathryn Hendley
Students found the course engaging only if they were deeply interested in Russian politics, as lectures could feel boring to others. The class focused on the ins and outs of Russian political systems rather than current events.
Recent recorded grades — Fall 2022: 3.39 GPA, 70.6% A/AB (n=51 letter grades); Fall 2024: 3.28 GPA, 62.0% A/AB (n=50 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.38 GPA, 70.0% A/AB (n=20 letter grades).
difficulty & workload
Past student reviews · Kathryn Hendley
The workload included two fairly easy papers and extensive assigned readings for each class. Exams were described as tough, requiring in-depth essay responses, and were heavily focused on lecture material.
Past student reviews · Kathryn Hendley
Past students described Professor Hendley as extremely knowledgeable and a genuine expert, though some found her blunt or intimidating. While grading was strict, one student noted she provided leeway and was self-aware.
Topics
- Political, economic, and institutional developments in Russia since 1991.
- The trajectory of political life in Russia from 1917 to the present.
- Theoretical and institutional foundations of democracy, markets, and the rule of law.
Skills
- Structuring arguments about the presence or absence of democratic, market, and rule-of-law institutions.
- Oral advocacy and participation in classroom discussions.
- Assessing scholarly literature, identifying research gaps, and formulating original research questions.
Grades
Latest available · Fall 2025— not enough history to project Spring 2027.
Grade distribution · % of letter grades
Grades over time
Through Fall 2025
More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data
Not enough comparable courses for Spring 2027 in UW–Madison.
Sources & history
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.
Selected offering source records
No offering records for the selected term.
Raw records
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Student reviews
Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.
Read original reviews
Grade history
Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.
Explore recorded gradesRecorded 2026-10-14
Model outputs & technical records
LLM outputs across runs
Full model traces
Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.
Model & dataset provenance
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"requirements_status": "valid",
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