"I taught courses in political science for more than ten years. It was not a matter of addressing students in a large lecture hall. I interacted with students in settings that facilitated discussion. My students learned to make arguments and to defend them.

The courses that I taught included all the major subfields of political science, but they focused on the American political tradition. Where appropriate, I assigned readings from primary sources, because I found that these require a higher level of thought and engagement than does textbook material. I also required papers in which students set forth their ideas in a relatively elaborate and formal way.

I understand that students can find it difficult to translate good ideas into a good paper. Writing a good paper is about turning one's ideas into an argument that will be persuasive to another person. I can offer candid feedback on drafts of your work. One of the things I did as a political science professor was supervise the writing of senior theses.

My courses in political science included a lot of history. One can't understand the thought of a given writer or political figure without knowing what was happening in his or her time. Reading primary sources is less difficult when one has the understanding of context that only history can supply.

I am happy to consult with students without charge. Reviewing written material generally requires 15 minutes per page." less...