GOV 312LLower division3 credit hours
GOV 312L Issues and Policies in American Government
Since 2011, GOV 312L has averaged 3.19 with 36% A’s. In Spring 2026 it averaged 3.39, about the same as other undergraduate GOV classes that term.
Registration detailsBefore you register
Listed for Spring 2027 · UT’s published schedule
- Catalog edition
- 2026–27
- Class hours a week
- 3
- Grading
- Letter grade only
- Repeat for credit
- No
- Core curriculum
- American and Texas government (070)
Grade distribution
Spring 2026: 2,490 letter grades, 3.39 average GPA, 49% A’s, 6 sections
Bars show the selected term. Short lines show all terms combined.
Grade counts
| Grade | Students | Share | All terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1,212 | 48.7% | 35.6% |
| A− | 337 | 13.5% | 13.5% |
| B+ | 228 | 9.2% | 10.7% |
| B | 221 | 8.9% | 13.0% |
| B− | 140 | 5.6% | 7.4% |
| C+ | 92 | 3.7% | 5.2% |
| C | 87 | 3.5% | 5.7% |
| C− | 53 | 2.1% | 2.8% |
| D+ | 29 | 1.2% | 1.5% |
| D | 28 | 1.1% | 1.8% |
| D− | 12 | 0.5% | 0.7% |
| F | 51 | 2.0% | 2.0% |
| Q, W, CR, and others | 309 | Not in the average | |
How have grades changed?
UT’s grade reports show 46 terms from Summer 2011 to Summer 2026 (15 falls, 15 springs, and 16 summers).
Grades by term
| Term | Sections | Letter grades | Average GPA | A’s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer 2026 | 2 | 920 | 3.49 | 56.5% |
| Spring 2026 | 6 | 2,490 | 3.39 | 48.7% |
| Fall 2025 | 6 | 2,778 | 3.48 | 51.4% |
| Summer 2025 | 2 | 917 | 3.40 | 48.2% |
| Spring 2025 | 7 | 2,815 | 3.48 | 56.0% |
| Fall 2024 | 6 | 2,186 | 3.64 | 65.8% |
| Summer 2024 | 2 | 1,081 | 3.37 | 44.0% |
| Spring 2024 | 7 | 2,351 | 3.38 | 52.2% |
| Fall 2023 | 6 | 1,815 | 3.08 | 33.7% |
| Summer 2023 | 3 | 853 | 3.10 | 32.5% |
| Spring 2023 | 9 | 2,405 | 3.38 | 47.3% |
| Fall 2022 | 6 | 1,775 | 3.41 | 40.7% |
| Summer 2022 | 2 | 786 | 3.09 | 34.5% |
| Spring 2022 | 9 | 2,098 | 3.07 | 31.7% |
| Fall 2021 | 7 | 1,341 | 3.11 | 33.1% |
| Summer 2021 | 2 | 755 | 2.99 | 33.9% |
| Spring 2021 | 6 | 1,463 | 3.47 | 52.4% |
| Fall 2020 | 5 | 2,583 | 3.36 | 41.5% |
| Summer 2020 | 4 | 944 | 3.12 | 31.0% |
| Spring 2020 | 9 | 2,114 | 3.70 | 63.3% |
| Fall 2019 | 5 | 2,185 | 3.05 | 27.0% |
| Summer 2019 | 6 | 483 | 3.00 | 23.8% |
| Spring 2019 | 10 | 2,595 | 3.24 | 34.0% |
| Fall 2018 | 9 | 2,181 | 3.17 | 32.2% |
| Summer 2018 | 5 | 547 | 3.00 | 24.7% |
| Spring 2018 | 9 | 1,853 | 3.10 | 28.5% |
| Fall 2017 | 10 | 1,893 | 3.15 | 31.2% |
| Summer 2017 | 4 | 457 | 3.10 | 27.1% |
| Spring 2017 | 13 | 2,250 | 3.10 | 29.4% |
| Fall 2016 | 9 | 1,930 | 3.04 | 23.6% |
| Summer 2016 | 4 | 571 | 3.03 | 14.4% |
| Spring 2016 | 12 | 2,267 | 3.03 | 25.6% |
| Fall 2015 | 8 | 1,478 | 2.93 | 17.9% |
| Summer 2015 | 2 | 346 | 2.85 | 12.7% |
| Spring 2015 | 11 | 1,631 | 3.00 | 21.9% |
| Fall 2014 | 11 | 1,835 | 2.82 | 15.7% |
| Summer 2014 | 4 | 364 | 3.29 | 34.3% |
| Spring 2014 | 14 | 1,879 | 2.89 | 20.0% |
| Fall 2013 | 9 | 1,397 | 2.88 | 18.2% |
| Summer 2013 | 4 | 285 | 3.06 | 28.1% |
| Spring 2013 | 12 | 2,014 | 2.94 | 21.4% |
| Fall 2012 | 9 | 1,604 | 2.83 | 14.0% |
| Summer 2012 | 4 | 322 | 2.95 | 20.5% |
| Spring 2012 | 8 | 1,608 | 2.95 | 22.5% |
| Fall 2011 | 8 | 1,273 | 2.97 | 25.2% |
| Summer 2011 | 2 | 306 | 2.89 | 24.2% |
What’s GOV 312L about?
Analysis of underlying themes concerned with American political institutions and policies, including the United States Constitution. May be paired with Government 310L or Civics 303C to satisfy the legislative Core requirement for government. Three lecture hours or two lecture hours and one discussion hour a week for one semester.
Prepare for class
- American political institutions
- The US Constitution
- Public policy
Review · Review how a federal bill becomes law.
Self-check · Congress passes a bill and the president vetoes it. How can Congress still enact it?
Show the answer
Both chambers can override the veto with a two-thirds vote.
Instructor evaluations
UT posts its course evaluation results as one public list per term. Open a term and look for GOV 312L in it: Spring 2026 · Fall 2025 · Summer 2025 · Spring 2025.
UT’s CES ratings search · Results before Fall 2022 · Syllabi and evaluations for GOV 312L
What comes before and after?
Courses named by UT
See the registration information above.
Sources
The Spring 2027 listing comes from UT’s printed schedule, checked November 9, 2026.
Class details come from UT’s Government catalog page, 2026–27 edition, checked October 27, 2026. Match requirements to your own catalog and degree plan.
Grades come from UT’s grade dashboard, updated October 27, 2026. UT leaves out some small classes to protect students’ privacy.
Each letter grade counts once. A− has its own bar. Subject averages cover the same subject, level, and term, including this class. How the averages are calculated.