Historical instructor

ALEXANDER TAHK

Adjusted rating
RMP difficulty
captured reviews
About this rating

Raw average: 2.86/5 from 7 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.

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

What students say

Original student reviews · all captured dates

PS417 · course not matched
Quality 4/5Difficulty 3/5
Professor Tahk is extremely knowledgeable in his field and is a great resource to learn from. Lecture heavy and most concrete learning and material application takes place in section. Not the most amazing public speaking skills, but does not hinder learning if you are keeping up with materials. Very approachable and supportive if you seek help.
Rate My Professors ↗
PS417 · course not matched
Quality 2/5Difficulty 3/5
Tahk is a nice guy, but his public speaking entirely affects your ability to learn in lectures. While the class is not necessarily difficult, most learning will take place outside of class. I feel bad giving him a bad rating because he is very nice, but he is almost impossible to follow and not the most charismatic.
Rate My Professors ↗
PS417 · course not matched
Quality 3/5Difficulty 3/5
Very nice guy, who clearly knows and loves his stuff, but not charismatic at all, which makes lectures a drag. That said, he's very accessible outside of class, and he's super lenient about his exam policy. (i.e. he'll let you stay a few minutes past the scheduled end of class to finish it). Not the best, but far from awful.
Rate My Professors ↗
PS417 · course not matched
Quality 3/5Difficulty 4/5
Very knowledgeable but lectures were very long and boring. Hard material and a lot of vocabulary to memorize. Exams very difficult.
Rate My Professors ↗
PS417 · course not matched
Quality 4/5Difficulty 3/5
Professor Tahk is clearly knowledgeable about the material and does a nice job laying out his lectures. Tests are fair and most material is relatively interesting. I would not say he is an overly talented public speaker but it in no way hinders your ability to learn the content. Bottom Line: smart guy, good professor.
Rate My Professors ↗
PS417 · course not matched
Quality 1/5Difficulty 3/5
Professor Tahk was the worst professor I've ever had. It is simply very hard to follow what he is saying because he speaks incredibly slowly and non-cohesively. Nice guy, but if you want to take an informative judicial class that is engaging, this is not the class that you want to take.
Rate My Professors ↗

Personal experiences, not a representative survey. Profile matching and captured coverage are shown in the source details.

Classes with ALEXANDER TAHK

No teaching recorded in Fall 2026.

View last recorded teaching term →

No courses match this selection. Try the full catalog or another term.

Recorded teaching history

Distinct courses recorded per term

Explore courses taught by this instructor →
Browse recorded courses
TermCourseTitle
Spring 2026AAE/POLISCI 835Game Theory and Political Analysis
Spring 2026POLISCI 682Senior Honors Thesis
Spring 2026POLISCI 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2026POLISCI 999Independent Work
Fall 2025POLISCI 417The American Judicial System
Fall 2025POLISCI 681Senior Honors Thesis
Fall 2025POLISCI 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2025POLISCI 999Independent Work
Spring 2025POLISCI 417The American Judicial System
Spring 2025POLISCI 919Seminar-advanced Methodology
Spring 2025POLISCI 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2024POLISCI 818Maximum Likelihood Estimation
Fall 2024POLISCI 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2024POLISCI 919Seminar-advanced Methodology
Spring 2024POLISCI 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2023POLISCI 417The American Judicial System
Fall 2023POLISCI 818Maximum Likelihood Estimation
Fall 2023POLISCI 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2023AAE/POLISCI 835Game Theory and Political Analysis
Spring 2023POLISCI 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2022POLISCI 818Maximum Likelihood Estimation
Fall 2022POLISCI 836Formal Models of Domestic Politics
Fall 2022POLISCI 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2022POLISCI 818Maximum Likelihood Estimation
Spring 2022POLISCI 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2022POLISCI 999Independent Work
Fall 2021POLISCI 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2020POLISCI 818Maximum Likelihood Estimation
Fall 2020POLISCI 919Seminar-advanced Methodology
Spring 2020POLISCI 417The American Judicial System
Spring 2020POLISCI 999Independent Work
Fall 2019POLISCI 818Maximum Likelihood Estimation
Fall 2019POLISCI 919Seminar-advanced Methodology
Fall 2018POLISCI 699Directed Study
Fall 2018POLISCI 812Introduction to Statistical Methods in Political Science
Fall 2018POLISCI 818Maximum Likelihood Estimation
Spring 2018POLISCI 401Selected Topics in Political Science
Spring 2018POLISCI 699Directed Study
Spring 2018POLISCI 919Seminar-advanced Methodology
Fall 2017POLISCI 417The American Judicial System
Fall 2017POLISCI 699Directed Study
Fall 2017POLISCI 818Maximum Likelihood Estimation
Spring 2017POLISCI 417The American Judicial System
Spring 2017POLISCI 919Seminar-advanced Methodology
Spring 2017POLISCI 990Research and Thesis
Fall 2016POLISCI 699Directed Study
Fall 2016POLISCI 818Maximum Likelihood Estimation
Fall 2016POLISCI 990Research and Thesis
Spring 2016AAE/POLISCI 835Game Theory and Political Analysis
Spring 2016POLISCI 699Directed Study
Spring 2016POLISCI 813Multivariable Statistical Inference for Political Research
Fall 2015POLISCI 699Directed Study
Fall 2015POLISCI 812Introduction to Statistical Methods in Political Science
Fall 2015POLISCI 999Independent Work
Spring 2015AAE/POLISCI 835Game Theory and Political Analysis
Fall 2014POLISCI 417The American Judicial System
Fall 2014POLISCI 812Introduction to Statistical Methods in Political Science
Spring 2014POLISCI 698Directed Study
Spring 2014POLISCI 699Directed Study
Fall 2013POLISCI 417The American Judicial System
Fall 2013POLISCI 698Directed Study
Fall 2013POLISCI 699Directed Study
Fall 2013POLISCI 812Introduction to Statistical Methods in Political Science
Spring 2013AAE/POLISCI 835Game Theory and Political Analysis
Spring 2013POLISCI 989American Politics Workshop
Fall 2012POLISCI 417The American Judicial System
Fall 2012POLISCI 812Introduction to Statistical Methods in Political Science
Fall 2012POLISCI 989American Politics Workshop
Spring 2012AAE/POLISCI 835Game Theory and Political Analysis
Spring 2012POLISCI 999Independent Work
Fall 2011POLISCI 417The American Judicial System
Fall 2011POLISCI 818Maximum Likelihood Estimation
Spring 2011POLISCI 417The American Judicial System
Spring 2011POLISCI 919Seminar-advanced Methodology
Spring 2011POLISCI 999Independent Work
Fall 2010POLISCI 818Maximum Likelihood Estimation

Teaching history may be incomplete. Course pages contain course-specific feedback and citations.

Instructor identity & provenance 
{
  "instructor_uid": "instructor_ab063b95d415c377805cd469",
  "source": "madgrades",
  "source_instructor_id": "4757404",
  "identity_basis": "source_id",
  "identity_status": "source_identified",
  "name": "ALEXANDER TAHK",
  "email": null,
  "first_observed_at": "2026-09-06 23:14:58.172943+00:00",
  "last_observed_at": "2026-09-07 15:55:43.033547+00:00",
  "ratings": {
    "review_count": 7,
    "quality": 2.86,
    "difficulty": 3.29,
    "quality_count": 7,
    "difficulty_count": 7,
    "profile_id": "rmp:1670622",
    "source_url": "https://www.ratemyprofessors.com/professor/1670622",
    "match_basis": "exact_name",
    "observed_at": "2026-09-07 16:56:53.810311+00:00",
    "courses": {},
    "bayesian_quality": 3.4523598396641444,
    "prior_mean": 3.6596857835465957,
    "prior_weight": 20
  },
  "grade_statistics": {
    "gpa": 3.508,
    "graded": 769,
    "counts": [
      336,
      233,
      125,
      52,
      14,
      5,
      4
    ],
    "sections": 76
  },
  "current": false,
  "courses": [],
  "revision": "e243353dcb7d79b7247ced91d69443ef4c2a6349",
  "instructor_url": "/instructors/ALEXANDER_TAHK--instructor_ab063b95d415c377805cd469"
}