Intro to Comparative Politics

I've never taken a higher level CompPol class, but I feel like I won't have needed to take this one in order to do well in a higher level. Professor Bleich is EXTRAORDINARILY clear. Each reading is summarized so perfectly in each class AND in reading notes that are sent out in the beginning of the week that you really don't gain that much more from doing the readings themselves. Bleich has a lovely system of headings, subheadings, and bullet points, that lets you know exactly what he wants you to understand. He does a great job connecting our concepts to America and to the present day. Class is rather interactive and the day-to-day is easy. BUT THEN, you get WHOOPED by a paper, midterm, and final in which he expects you to engage in comparative study at a VERY high level, bringing together concepts from ALL of the readings, and he grades harshly. In all, I felt that class did not give more than broad-strokes definitions of concepts (making it very easy) but papers expected you to be an expert.

I've never taken a higher level CompPol class, but I feel like I won't have needed to take this one in order to do well in a higher level. Professor Bleich is EXTRAORDINARILY clear. Each reading is summarized so perfectly in each class AND in reading notes that are sent out in the beginning of the week that you really don't gain that …Read more

Sebnem is a great professor and is a good communicator. She takes awhile to return grades but she's flexible with deadlines which is nice. The class is straightforward and isn't super difficult. It's not my favorite part of political science but it was fairly interesting.

There are 2 papers and a presentation that are extremely easy to get good grades in and make up most of your grade. However, the papers were uninspiring, and the heavy-lifting was weaving a nuanced connection between the prompt and class material (because there was little to none). The lectures themselves were often boring and disorganized, and although Professor Chwalisz claims to "love discussion" her opinions on most issues seemed very black and white (the same opinions she chose for readings). The worst part of this class was the fact that she would give us pop quizzes once a week, and every single week there was at least one answer to a question that the majority of the class thought was wrong, which lead to half of the lecture being tied up in arguments between students and the professor. The content itself is enthralling, but probably only to someone like me who finds political structures and theories incredibly interesting, and it's only interesting if you are very self-driven. You will get an A in this class, but it's not awesome... mostly because of the professor.

There are 2 papers and a presentation that are extremely easy to get good grades in and make up most of your grade. However, the papers were uninspiring, and the heavy-lifting was weaving a nuanced connection between the prompt and class material (because there was little to none). The lectures themselves were often boring and disorg …Read more

This course is overall not too hard. The reading is a lot and we had a pop-quiz every class. There was also one presentation that was worth 60% of our grade. I think this class is not too hard to get an A in, but did require a lot of work.

Great course for learning about comparative politics. I'm not sure how relevant the information we covered in this class will be buy Professor Verghese is super clear, relaxed, and knows all about the subject. The grade consisted mostly of weekly discussion questions, which I actually found trickier than expected because asking questions requires you to understand the readings better than writing a summary does. Aside from that, there were two papers and no final. I highly recommend for an easy way to fulfill the PSCI intro requirement and still talk about interesting studies and concepts.

Great course for learning about comparative politics. I'm not sure how relevant the information we covered in this class will be buy Professor Verghese is super clear, relaxed, and knows all about the subject. The grade consisted mostly of weekly discussion questions, which I actually found trickier than expected because asking quest …Read more

Professor Verghese is genuinely one of the best professors I’ve had in the Political Science department. His classes are structured in a way that really facilitates both learning and engagement– a perfect balance between theory and practical examples. He’s incredibly knowledgeable, which comes through not just lectures but also the insightful, real-world applications he ties into the material. He always provides thoughtful responses, ensuring students fully understand the concepts. Plus, he does so with patience and politeness, creating a welcoming classroom environment where everyone feels comfortable participating.

Professor Verghese is genuinely one of the best professors I’ve had in the Political Science department. His classes are structured in a way that really facilitates both learning and engagement– a perfect balance between theory and practical examples. He’s incredibly knowledgeable, which comes through not just lectures but also the i …Read more

Professor Verghese is truly a great lecturer, and the material in the class is diverse and engaging. Every week a new topic is covered from the field of comparative politics. One reading is usually theoretical while the other is practical which creates good balance. There are 2 reflection papers due during the semester and discussion questions are due each week before your respective discussion time. Overall I recommend this class with Professor Verghese if you are looking to take comparative politics for either Political Science or IP&E.

Professor Verghese is truly a great lecturer, and the material in the class is diverse and engaging. Every week a new topic is covered from the field of comparative politics. One reading is usually theoretical while the other is practical which creates good balance. There are 2 reflection papers due during the semester and discussion …Read more

Only one essay, didn't have to participate too much in class discussions, mostly just listen to his lectures which were engaging and super organized with slides (easy to take notes off of). The only time it got hard was for the exams because there was a lot of possible content and we were allowed a cheat sheet so a lot of students spent a long time making and writing on their cheat sheets, but it made for good studying. The exams required a lot of writing but weren't difficult questions. I also like the way he encouraged us to organize and structure our essays. He's SUPER nice and so smart, I 11/10 recommend him.

Only one essay, didn't have to participate too much in class discussions, mostly just listen to his lectures which were engaging and super organized with slides (easy to take notes off of). The only time it got hard was for the exams because there was a lot of possible content and we were allowed a cheat sheet so a lot of students sp …Read more

This is a solid introduction course for those looking to get into Poly-sci. Bleich is a solid teacher who instructs a well-organized and informative course. Expect 100 pages of reading a week (which you can get away with skimming if you're smart). The main component of your grade comes from two blue-book written exams (which aren't terrible, but blue-book exams in 2024 are not ideal). The other component, your research project, is really interesting and (despite being a lot of work) a good idea investment overall because it gives you some background on other countries which comes in handy down the line. As for the instructor, Bleich wasn't interesting but he seemed fair enough in grading and brought a "dad-joke" kind of aura to the class that makes lectures interesting enough. Ultimately, if you like straightforward teachers and want to dive into Poly-sci, this is definitely the way to go...

This is a solid introduction course for those looking to get into Poly-sci. Bleich is a solid teacher who instructs a well-organized and informative course. Expect 100 pages of reading a week (which you can get away with skimming if you're smart). The main component of your grade comes from two blue-book written exams (which aren't …Read more

I am a freshman taking Professor Verghese's class, and so far it has been a good experience. The readings can be a bit difficult to understand at times, but they are always explained thoroughly and broken down very well during lecture. Professor Verghese does a great job of balancing older, more abstract readings with more recent case studies each week. The discussions are relatively engaging, and I feel comfortable speaking up even though I don't have any poly-sci background. Do the readings (at least skim them), write a few discussion questions each week, show up to lectures, and participate in the discussions and you will get good grades.

I am a freshman taking Professor Verghese's class, and so far it has been a good experience. The readings can be a bit difficult to understand at times, but they are always explained thoroughly and broken down very well during lecture. Professor Verghese does a great job of balancing older, more abstract readings with more recent cas …Read more

I loved this class. The professor was very knowledgeable and seemed to really care about the material. The only assignments on a week to week basis are some readings and 2 discussion questions per week. There are two papers throughout the semester and he grades very fairly.

This course is a good introduction to comparative politics. The subfield does not require the intensive memorization of definitions and terms that other introductory political science courses require. Despite the lack of material, Prof. Verghese does an amazing job of facilitating learning and fantastic discussions. I would definitely recommend taking this course with Verghese.

The class itself had the potential to be interesting, but with Natalie I would not recommend. Her lectures were all over the place and there were large periods of time when she would not be in class, and instead have a “guest lecturer” come in. For someone who tried to put a lot of weight on discussion she did not allow for any fluid conversations, interrupting and interjecting her own opinion. I did not know a single grade until around May, which made it extremely difficult to adapt to her rather specific grading style.

The class itself had the potential to be interesting, but with Natalie I would not recommend. Her lectures were all over the place and there were large periods of time when she would not be in class, and instead have a “guest lecturer” come in. For someone who tried to put a lot of weight on discussion she did not allow for any fluid …Read more

I thought this course was one of the easiest in the political science sphere. Additionally, it was interesting and almost completely discussion based. The professor was very nice and let students lead the conversation and talk about what they were interested in during discussions.

No exams or written essays only a presentation. Pop quizzes so had to do the readings which can be a lot of content but overall not bad. Professor was a pretty good grader. Content was not super interesting but that's expected in an intro class. Covered a lot of content and felt like I learned a lot

Prof. Bleich was incredibly enjoyable. For this course, he implemented small google forms quizzes every class to ensure people skimmed the reading, but it just asked about the basic ideas and made it all the more rewarding coming to class prepared. His slideshows were concise but covered all of the major ideas in the readings for the day and his excitement and enthusiasm made the class very interesting.

Prof. Bleich was incredibly enjoyable. For this course, he implemented small google forms quizzes every class to ensure people skimmed the reading, but it just asked about the basic ideas and made it all the more rewarding coming to class prepared. His slideshows were concise but covered all of the major ideas in the readings for the …Read more

I had a great experience in Sebnem's Comparative Politics class. This was the only Poli Sci class I've taken, and I came out of it with valuable knowledge that can be applied beyond school. Her lectures are very passionate, and she encourages students to incorporate their own experiences/examples in discussion which I found to be really cool. Grading was not prompt, but her grading was not a stress factor for me. Overall I found the lectures and readings entertaining, I would recommend!

I had a great experience in Sebnem's Comparative Politics class. This was the only Poli Sci class I've taken, and I came out of it with valuable knowledge that can be applied beyond school. Her lectures are very passionate, and she encourages students to incorporate their own experiences/examples in discussion which I found to be rea …Read more

Had a presentation within the first month worth 40% of the grade. Her grading made no sense but I liked her as a person. Some people got pretty frustrated by the end. There were also two small papers based off of a presentation, but the paper topic had nothing/very little to do with the presentation.

While this class is very reading heavy and takes up a good portion of my time, I would recommend taking this class if one is seriously interested in gaining a comprehensive poly sci foundation. The professor also provides opportunities for grade boosts frequently.

Chwalisz assigns a lot homework, has random quizzes on it which are hard to get a good score on despite if you did the readings thoroughly. She is a confusing and fast teacher during her lessons, and the readings mostly cover what is taught in class, however in 10x the words. She is a confusing and tough grader, and her presentations are fast and lack substance. I would not recommend Chwalisz, or Comparative Politics.

Chwalisz assigns a lot homework, has random quizzes on it which are hard to get a good score on despite if you did the readings thoroughly. She is a confusing and fast teacher during her lessons, and the readings mostly cover what is taught in class, however in 10x the words. She is a confusing and tough grader, and her presentations …Read more

This class was awesome. Sebnem is awesome. Everything is awesome. Due to the nature of it being an intro class it's a little boring at first, but give it time and it will get really interesting. Sebnem is a great professor. Not only does she care about her student's well-being (very understanding with extensions) but you can tell she has a passion for this the minute she walks into the room. The class consists of 2 lectures a week 1 discussion section; some reading quizzes (but if you pay at least 70% attention you'll ace them); 3 essays (6 pages, 8 pages, 10 pages); one end-of-year reflection assessment type. Such a good class.

This class was awesome. Sebnem is awesome. Everything is awesome. Due to the nature of it being an intro class it's a little boring at first, but give it time and it will get really interesting. Sebnem is a great professor. Not only does she care about her student's well-being (very understanding with extensions) but you can tell she …Read more

Professor Verghese is a great, understanding professor. He made taking this course a great experience for me. The readings and lectures were interesting and light. There were only 2 short papers that you could choose the topic of and were graded very fairly. I highly recommend this course (it is a gem)!

Professor Verghese is very competent in his field. He is always interested in what students have to say during discussions. Readings can be dense and complex, but Professor Verghese sorts through the nitty gritty during lectures. The only homework other than weekly readings are two analytical papers due over the course of the semester. Very structured class and definitely recommend taking at as an intro to the political science department.

Professor Verghese is very competent in his field. He is always interested in what students have to say during discussions. Readings can be dense and complex, but Professor Verghese sorts through the nitty gritty during lectures. The only homework other than weekly readings are two analytical papers due over the course of the semeste …Read more

Her class period has a majority of discussions among the students. No exams for this class when I took it and basically what we had were discussion questions postings, replies, some response papers, and a final paper.

This course was very easy, with one big project that was 40% of the final grade. The grading was lenient. Although there were pop quizzes about once a week, they were extremely easy. The professor was very sweet, although the class was boring at times. The discussions were all student led with minimal guidance, which some liked, while others felt that there should be more structure to them. If you take notes in class and do the readings, this class should be an easy A.

This course was very easy, with one big project that was 40% of the final grade. The grading was lenient. Although there were pop quizzes about once a week, they were extremely easy. The professor was very sweet, although the class was boring at times. The discussions were all student led with minimal guidance, which some liked, whil …Read more

It is important to understand that this Professor does not put forth arguments herself, and instead turns targeted questions into class discussions every class period. This can at times be interesting, but often means you understand your peers' views far more than you understand how the field of Political Science would respond to your question. So, it is unlikely you will get a clear answer to the things you ask. There is not an objective or outline of learning within every class, and we repeated discussions on democracy vs authoritarianism as well as what constitutes a state every week until the course ended. I did not learn anything new in this class. That said, the Professor is a kind person and seemed willing to provide extensions if told ahead of time. I would not take an intro course with her- classes based on her research on Illicit Economies may have learning objectives (she is definitely smart). I am not sure what she intended we gain from this class, since the content could have been taught much more directly, clearly, and productively.

It is important to understand that this Professor does not put forth arguments herself, and instead turns targeted questions into class discussions every class period. This can at times be interesting, but often means you understand your peers' views far more than you understand how the field of Political Science would respond to you …Read more

Honestly, this course is very chill, with about two 15-page readings a week, no exam, and just two 4-page papers in the entire year with quite generous grading. Professor Verghese is very nice and extremely accommodating (you can pretty much automatically get an extension if you ask for it, I literally send my second paper after Christmas). We mostly just discuss our readings in class, even in lectures. Professor Verghese is quite good at facilitating them, even though my feeling is that he lacks a bit of input, and the actual substance of what you will learn is not very significant. However, the readings he chose were great, he knows what will feel engaging to students, and it really makes his class worth it. If you are just looking for a chill fun class with lots of discussions, or if you have to take the class for your major, you probably won't regret going with Professor Verghese.

Honestly, this course is very chill, with about two 15-page readings a week, no exam, and just two 4-page papers in the entire year with quite generous grading. Professor Verghese is very nice and extremely accommodating (you can pretty much automatically get an extension if you ask for it, I literally send my second paper after Chri …Read more

Materials studied in this class were not suitable for intro courses and at times were a bit too chaotic. The readings were mostly boring and the professor was just reading off of her slides instead of actively engaging with the class.

This course is very reading based. Expect 2-3 30ish page articles each week. Prof. Verghese goes over the documents in class though so you can get away with not super deep reading but I still recommend at least skimming so you can do well in the discussions. The papers are also nice because it's open ended and opinion based prompts. Prof. Verghese is also very accommodating. He helped me catch up if I missed a class and even let me switch discussion times without hesitation when I couldn't make my original one. Highly recommend!

This course is very reading based. Expect 2-3 30ish page articles each week. Prof. Verghese goes over the documents in class though so you can get away with not super deep reading but I still recommend at least skimming so you can do well in the discussions. The papers are also nice because it's open ended and opinion based prompts. …Read more

The class is interesting, but kind of incoherent. Discussions can be interesting, and class lectures too (although Prof Chwalisz goes through them too fast to take any useful notes) but I don't really see an end-goal in the class, and the content along with the discussions are kind of all over the place.

Loved taking this class with Sebnem! Confirmed my interest in majoring in IP&E. Lectures and discussion with a few essays during the semester. While some of the content was a bit boring she is extremely engaging and a fairly relaxed grader (I think I received a 93 on every paper).

While this is an intro political science course and is therefore pretty general, I thought that we went into sufficient detail in each topic, which helped me select areas of interest that I explored in the final paper. Professor Bleich is a very clear lecturer and a fair grader. He also makes himself very available for extra help, and is intentional about creating discussion sections in which everyone feels like they can contribute to the conversation. Every political science major should take this course.

While this is an intro political science course and is therefore pretty general, I thought that we went into sufficient detail in each topic, which helped me select areas of interest that I explored in the final paper. Professor Bleich is a very clear lecturer and a fair grader. He also makes himself very available for extra help, an …Read more

This class was very interesting, and I'm very happy I took it with Prof.Sebnem. She makes the lectures interesting and you can tell that she knows the topic really well. Sometimes, I found the reading a bit much, but the assignments were pretty spaced out. We had to do 3 papers and some short discussion posts. Sebnem is also very understanding and will help you if you ask for it. Would definitely recommend.

This class was very interesting, and I'm very happy I took it with Prof.Sebnem. She makes the lectures interesting and you can tell that she knows the topic really well. Sometimes, I found the reading a bit much, but the assignments were pretty spaced out. We had to do 3 papers and some short discussion posts. Sebnem is also very und …Read more

This class was not difficult and enjoyable to take. Professor Verghese's lectures are interesting and thought provoking, and he is very approachable with any questions or comments. The only assignments were 2 three page reading response papers that could be at any point of the semester. Definitely an easy class, especially if you get ahead and do the papers early.

Professor Gumuscu is an excellent professor, and does a great job of condensing political science material into easy-to-follow, digestible lectures. She is very flexible and accommodating to students, and is very enthusiastic in teaching. I have nothing but good things to say about her. For anyone looking to gain a better understanding into politics, this is a great place to start.

This was a decent course. We had different themes throughout the semester, like authoritarianism, democratization, identity politics, etc. and had to do quite a bit of reading prior to each lecture. Then the lectures consisted of Professor Bleich going over the most important points in the reading during class, following along with his presentation, and then having some kind of small group discussions toward the end. I really liked that each student had the opportunity to select any three countries from different regions of the world and to carry out comparisons between them in relation to each theme throughout the semester. The exams for this course were all essay based. If I recall, there was one at-home essay and then two in-class, timed essays for the midterm and the final. It seemed that Professor Bleich liked active participation and engagement from his students, so I think our quiet morning class kind of threw him off. But, the course was ok overall.

This was a decent course. We had different themes throughout the semester, like authoritarianism, democratization, identity politics, etc. and had to do quite a bit of reading prior to each lecture. Then the lectures consisted of Professor Bleich going over the most important points in the reading during class, following along with h …Read more

Loved her class overall! Very clear in teaching and very passionate about it. The course was a nice environment where we could talk to each other for help. I think she did a great job in creating that kind of environment as well. The amount of reading was decent for a 103 class, and a lot of them were easy to understand and informative. She is also considerate about the student's well-being as well. She sometimes seemed busy, so the grading was not as responsive as much as other professors, but it was still ok. The same goes for emails, so when something is urgent, you might not get the quickest response. Better to talk to her face-to-face.

Loved her class overall! Very clear in teaching and very passionate about it. The course was a nice environment where we could talk to each other for help. I think she did a great job in creating that kind of environment as well. The amount of reading was decent for a 103 class, and a lot of them were easy to understand and informati …Read more

The professor seemed passionate about the topic but graded things months after the fact; I got my grade back for the first essay 15 mins before the deadline for the second essay (each essay is worth about 30% of your grade and she's not an easy grader) Also she never put any of the slides on canvas and would give instructions for the essays in class that she never put online. Homework varies from a single 7 page reading to multiple 25+ page readings and hour-long videos that never come up in class. This class was boring and stressful, avoid if you can

The professor seemed passionate about the topic but graded things months after the fact; I got my grade back for the first essay 15 mins before the deadline for the second essay (each essay is worth about 30% of your grade and she's not an easy grader) Also she never put any of the slides on canvas and would give instructions for the …Read more

This class is a requirement for my major IP&E and taking it with professor Gumuscu was definitely the right choice. Her discussions are interesting and fun. The essays are not easy but she is very open to meeting with students in office hours and giving personalized advice.

This class was incredibly easy. As all the other reviews say, lectures are incredibly disorganized and virtually the entire class is discussion based. Readings were very good. I got a 100 on every single assignment. Go to class do the readings write the paper.

Her lecture style was very disorganized and she's not very friendly. Sometimes asking her to explain something to you will leave you feeling more confused than before. Very reading intensive course.

Prof Bleich was an extremely good lecturer and very helpful if you are having trouble understanding the material. The class itself was not too hard but the way Bleich structured the exams (as timed research papers with a randomly selected prompt) was a little stressful at times. Overall a great class.

This class has a lot of readings, but you didn't really need to do them in Sebnem's class. There are pop quizzes that are infrequent and low stakes, but she's looking for specific information on each one. Most of the grade is from three essays. The best part of this class is Sebnem's passion. She gets you excited to learn about whatever she's teaching.

I enjoyed taking comparative politics with Professor Gumuscu! Her lectures were very interesting, especially because she was very passionate about the topics. She was approachable and willing to answer any questions I had about the lectures. Most of the grade comes from 3 essays. As long as you incorporate the lecture information and do research, I found it easy to get As on the essays.

I enjoyed taking comparative politics with Professor Gumuscu! Her lectures were very interesting, especially because she was very passionate about the topics. She was approachable and willing to answer any questions I had about the lectures. Most of the grade comes from 3 essays. As long as you incorporate the lecture information and …Read more

Natalie Chwalisz is a good professor and if you turn things in on time and attend most classes, you will get an A. She doesn't really fit into what you might consider the typical Middlebury Poli-Sci professor as she is very straightforward and objective, but this is a holistic class that gets its main ideas across - you will learn something and the foundational ideas are there. The discussion section often seemed a little pointless, but it was only 50 minutes.

Natalie Chwalisz is a good professor and if you turn things in on time and attend most classes, you will get an A. She doesn't really fit into what you might consider the typical Middlebury Poli-Sci professor as she is very straightforward and objective, but this is a holistic class that gets its main ideas across - you will learn so …Read more

This class was pretty relaxed and very clear in its expectations: show up, participate, put some effort into the papers and leave with an A. The class was very heavily discussed based and you heard more of your peers' voices than the professor's. Interesting but perhaps not the best tack in an intro class where most people no idea what they are talking about. We also spent like 8 weeks talking about authoritarianism and by the end of the unit I was thoroughly over that topic.

This class was pretty relaxed and very clear in its expectations: show up, participate, put some effort into the papers and leave with an A. The class was very heavily discussed based and you heard more of your peers' voices than the professor's. Interesting but perhaps not the best tack in an intro class where most people no idea wh …Read more

Comparative Politics is an interesting topic and class in my opinion. The material and readings often were interesting to me. Despite this, readings were typically unnaturally drawn upon in our discussion sections. Lectures with Professor Chwalisz went too fast. The class grading was overwhelmingly concentrated on the presentation. I found the research for the project very interesting however the stakes placed on the assignment made it more stressful. Discussion sections were mostly consumed by these presentations and often lacked the time to develop into what they could've become. Pop quizzes more often than not had incorrect answers in them, further demonstrating the disorganized nature of the lectures. Professor Chwalisz is certainly knowledgeable but I don't think she did a great job with this course. Reading was pretty heavy but manageable and interesting. Ultimately, I would take the course again but not with Professor Chwalisz.

Comparative Politics is an interesting topic and class in my opinion. The material and readings often were interesting to me. Despite this, readings were typically unnaturally drawn upon in our discussion sections. Lectures with Professor Chwalisz went too fast. The class grading was overwhelmingly concentrated on the presentation. I …Read more

I really enjoyed this class with Bleich. He was very enthusiastic and was very knowledgeable about politics. There were a lot of readings, but that is the case for most poli sci classes here. I was not a big fan of his exam style, but I thought his grading was fair.

This class is mostly filled with people filling pre-reqs for IP&E and Poly Sci majors so its mostly people who are interested in the topics covered. The class pacing and assignment difficulty is pretty chill as there is only one major essay in the class. The discussions are free for alls at times but overall everything pretty reasonable and doable.

Professor Chwalisz is a very fast lecturer and you may find it difficult to take complete lecture notes as a result of that. I personally found the content interesting, but I could see how it could seem repetitive or generic. The grading for this course was pretty easy, one presentation made up 40% of the entire grade and it was graded very leniently. As long as you do the minimal work and even just skim the readings you will get a good grade as there are no exams. I enjoyed the discussion sections of this class. Overall, she is a middle of the road professor that some people may find a little boring, although she did bring in some interesting guest lecturers.

Professor Chwalisz is a very fast lecturer and you may find it difficult to take complete lecture notes as a result of that. I personally found the content interesting, but I could see how it could seem repetitive or generic. The grading for this course was pretty easy, one presentation made up 40% of the entire grade and it was grad …Read more

This is one of the bigger lectures/survey classes at Midd, which is to be expected as an intro, 100 level course. Neither the workload nor difficulty is overwhelming, but while I am interested in Political Science the lectures got boring at times. Lectures move quickly, but not too quickly. Sometimes it feels like the professor could have reviewed the slides more thoroughly before class to make lectures more engaging and to answer questions more effectively, rather than turning questions back on students. I found the discussion section to be more fun as she leaves many sessions open for us to discuss topics of interest. Overall, if this class were a stock – rather than a buy or sell – I would call it a hold.

This is one of the bigger lectures/survey classes at Midd, which is to be expected as an intro, 100 level course. Neither the workload nor difficulty is overwhelming, but while I am interested in Political Science the lectures got boring at times. Lectures move quickly, but not too quickly. Sometimes it feels like the professor coul …Read more

I loved this course. Gumuscu is a great prof, and her lectures were easy to follow and not too dull. There is the occasional pop quiz, (which she warns you about), but they are quite easy if you have listened to the very broadest of her lecture points. The grading is easy and the reading load is completely manageable. This course is perfect in my opinion, as it gives you an important baseline of Political Science knowledge and is very interesting while also being easy to succeed in.

I loved this course. Gumuscu is a great prof, and her lectures were easy to follow and not too dull. There is the occasional pop quiz, (which she warns you about), but they are quite easy if you have listened to the very broadest of her lecture points. The grading is easy and the reading load is completely manageable. This course is …Read more

Although lectures could get a little monotonous, it was fairly easy to grasp the material through discussions. The papers always connected directly to readings and the instructions were direct enough to understand what Professor Gumuscu was looking for. There were multiple readings, but it wasn't too bad and they were all pretty helpful in understanding concepts.

I took this class with Bleich and overall had a great experience. While the class was low commitment and fairly easy by nature of barely having any outside work and only minimal weekly readings, it was very interesting content-wise and Bleich is a great lecturer. Further, there is only one 1000 word paper across the whole semester and two exams where you get the question a week ahead of time.

I took this class with Bleich and overall had a great experience. While the class was low commitment and fairly easy by nature of barely having any outside work and only minimal weekly readings, it was very interesting content-wise and Bleich is a great lecturer. Further, there is only one 1000 word paper across the whole semester a …Read more

the class material itself is pretty boring and Professor Natalie is not the most eloquent person when it comes to teaching. the grading is not hard and there is only one paper, but wow this class is boring and really poorly taught. I feel like im not really learning. it is ALL discussion based and the lectures seem useless. I feel like this class is a waste of time but I need it for my major

the class material itself is pretty boring and Professor Natalie is not the most eloquent person when it comes to teaching. the grading is not hard and there is only one paper, but wow this class is boring and really poorly taught. I feel like im not really learning. it is ALL discussion based and the lectures seem useless. I feel li …Read more

Absolutely loved taking this class with Professor Gumuscu. She's clearly passionate about the topic and that translates through to lectures. She outlines what she expects from you and gives ample amount of time for essays. As long as you do the reading and show up to lectures you can leave the class feeling satisfied.

Sebnem is an excellent instructor. While her lectures were sometimes repetitive and often repeated what we had just gone over in our homework readings, she is an excellent discussion leader. She always had time for students to answer questions and the class was super interesting like 90-95% of the time. Great introduction to comparative politics and helped contextualize how the world works. Disclaimer: IP&E major not Poli Sci.

Sebnem is an excellent instructor. While her lectures were sometimes repetitive and often repeated what we had just gone over in our homework readings, she is an excellent discussion leader. She always had time for students to answer questions and the class was super interesting like 90-95% of the time. Great introduction to comparat …Read more

I love international politics so I chose to take this class. I want to major in political science. This class was a good introduction to the field of political science. I learned that political science is as much a social science as it is a study of current events and history. Professor Bleich assigned 30 to 60 pages of reading from academic journals per class. However, during class he reviewed all of the important points during class.

I love international politics so I chose to take this class. I want to major in political science. This class was a good introduction to the field of political science. I learned that political science is as much a social science as it is a study of current events and history. Professor Bleich assigned 30 to 60 pages of reading from …Read more

Professor Bleich is a very clear lecturer and assigns readings that he really explores and evaluates in class. He also provides his presentation slides after class so you can refer back to the lecture. Exams are essays, and you are given a few possible essay questions before exam day, so you can prepare outlines for each one before you learn which you are assigned. I really like this structure.

Professor Bleich is a very clear lecturer and assigns readings that he really explores and evaluates in class. He also provides his presentation slides after class so you can refer back to the lecture. Exams are essays, and you are given a few possible essay questions before exam day, so you can prepare outlines for each one before y …Read more

Incredible professor, incredible discussions. felt as though I actually gained something from the class. I enjoyed the peer review for essays, and thought that I was able to grow my writing skills. Would love to take more classes with sebnam!

Ajay was a good professor and I thought the class was really interesting. Its one of those classes where if you skim the reading and participate at least a little in class he will like you. The papers aren't the easiest but if any of the material resonates with you the papers can be pretty fun. I personally really liked this class.

At first, I didn't like the class because the professor was kind of disorganized, but after giving it some time it was very interesting and helpful. majority of your grade is dependent on your case study presentation, which can be a plus or minus, but she isn't too harsh of a grader.

The content of the course is quite interesting and even the readings she provides for the class. However, her teaching can be unclear, and lack explanation for questions asked in class. Do your readings every week as this helps to follow through the lectures, discussion class and the bi-weekly quizzes she gives which is based on the reading.

It is a lecture class and its an intro class so it is boring at the beginning but it gets better... Sebnem is a great professor and does well with the 'boring' material she is teaching. There isn't that much work, and it fills pre-recs for other cool polysci classes.

the course explain the requirements for the start-up learner's needs for political science, Prof. Natalie is very nice and kind. She always give high scores to students and encourage students' talk during classes

This course was so boring to take. I didn't feel like I learned much and the proposed readings were not the greatest. As somebody who already has experience in Comparative Politics, I believe the order in which the readings were assigned was bad and caters to a very specific demographic, that being people who think int'l politics is all about who has the biggest and strongest army.

I thought the class was interesting, and Prof Gumuscu was brilliant. Clearly had a lot of passion and was very accommodating. There is a lot of reading, but it is interesting, and you can largely skim it. Papers were not terribly difficult. Interesting discussions

I did not like this course. It had a lot of reading which often felt useless. I don't think the concepts were explained well and the readings were often hard to understand. The exams were in class essays which were not very difficult. The professor was nice and therefore times we had interesting discussions in class, but overall, I don't think it was a very engaging class.

I really enjoyed this class with Professor Verghese! The class format is highly lecture-based during the class period and then he will have students bring questions for the discussion sections - super easy and chill grader.

the class is great as an introduction class to political science. Sebnem is a great professor and she is very understanding of her students. Her grading is very fair. She is always open to students coming to discuss upcoming essays.

Sebnum does a great way at being enthusiastic while teaching and tries to relate it back to current events to keep students engaged. The three essays required for the semester parent too challenging and she's always able to help at office hours. Although, there is a decent amount of reading but you don't have exams.

Her teaching was a bit disorganized, and I think I would have gained more from this class if I had taken it with a different professor. Overall, the class was easy, except discussions were not properly facilitated.

the course was well taught and very easy to follow. Readings weren't crazy long. Exams were pretty easy since it was questions that were given before hand so you could prep for them easily. Grading on the harsher side and not much feedback.

Sebum is super sweet and really is a great teacher! She gave great great lectures and there was not much homework beyond readings. Readings could be long and tedious and sometimes there were pop-quizzes in the class.

Honestly, I would recommend taking this course with a different professor. I liked the content of the course and think its a good background in comparison, but Professor Bleich lectured in a pretty traditional and not super exciting way.

This class requires weekly readings and discussion posts with some dense language - overall chill, easy class - but often does require some background information on global politics to be an active participant in lectures/discussions