This is by far my FAVORITE course I have ever taken at UVA. Professor Sabato is an incredible lecturer and tells anecdotes about JFK and his team that are just fascinating. Him and Stroupe have such a funny banter and it keeps the lecture light. The grade is Discussion Participation (showing up to class), 1 Midterm, 1 Memo, and the final. The readings weren't hard just a little time consuming but essential to know for exams. I would say this is a MUST take class but just know it is not easy in terms of exams. He asks quotes he said verbatim in lecture and from the textbooks so you have to write everything he says word for word in your notes. You also have to know very specific dates and names for exams. With that being said I think the difficulty of this class is outweighed by the enjoyability, and I am so glad I took this course!