i am currently in professor gibbs' "american foreign policy" class, and i completely disagree with previous comments. dr. gibbs' lectures are wonderful, informative, and yet self-ironic.

Yes, Professor Gibbs is critical of George Bush...this is not a bad thing! Gibbs is informed, logical, and open to other opinions.

Dr. Gibbs is very knowledgable in his subject area, and tends to think he is always right; he seems to get somewhat offended when a student points out a mistake of his. I found this class fairly interesting, especially the CIA Covert Operations, he teaches students not to blindly follow the gov't

Great guy love his classes took all I was allowed to take. Very demanding on class load but everything required is interesting.

amazing class, and witty professor

Great class, very interesting material. He is the best lecturer I have had yet at U of A.

He is an excellent teacher. He doesn't make things up as others say he does; his work is well researched and his opinions are well founded. People who don't like his work simply disagree with him and in true conservative fashion cry conspiracy theorist. What Gibbs thinks of you doesn't even matter b/c the TA grades everything. Very smart man!

Gibbs is an economics-uber-alles guy, and if you're anything short of that you're going to find stuff to argue with. If you can get past that, he's brilliant and fascinating. He packs 50 years of foreign-policy scholarship into 4 months. A tough grader but a pretty fair one. Exams aren't too hard. One of the best classes you'll ever take.

fabulous.didn't know or care about foreign policy until Gibss.VERY professional(refreshing).made FP easy to understand and interesting.encourages comments of all kinds.ppl who say he is anti-communist or wtvr are just scared.amazing teacher, LOVES u 2 raise ur hand.no matter your view.shocking how helpful he was w the paper, REALLY helps w sources

Dr. Gibbs is an excellent professor, and I loved his class. He really makes you think about things that are happening in the world. I loved every moment of his class. I was impressed with his method.

The guy is going to have his haters simply because he is so out there with his (admittedly leftist) political bent, although his barrage of facts could make any conservative apologist blush. He's a class act, a funny guy that makes you think during lecture and realize that the skills he teaches you will use for the rest of your thinking life.

I love this man. He is highly intellectual, and he has a great love for humanity and knowledge. This class is the highpoint of my week.

What is Politics? This class focused on arguments, propaganda and the Soviet Union. Didn't really match with the title of the course but is one I'd recommend. As long as you study and do the three assignments, you'll be fine. Definitely a lot better than some of the INDV's my friends have been in. Gibbs' TAs do the grading, he just lectures.

There are only two midterms and a paper for this class and an optional final worth 40 percent of your grade. He is boring at times and class is not mandatory as all the lectures are online. Once you get into the russian revolution it is interesting. Not really about politics though, only fallacies and propaganda.

The class was called "What is politics?". I felt like we didn't talk about politics at all. The class was very easy. I did a total of about 30 hrs of outside work for the entire semester.

He is certainly an opinionated teacher. He knows what he is talking about and brings many interesting topics to discussion. You will learn mostly about the dirty / not well known U.S. foreign interventions. I enjoyed the class, I learned a lot because it was not the events you find in a normal American history book. Got a B.

Gibbs is passionate about International Relations and it shows during his lectures. Take this class, he will teach you things that you never knew about politics and Government goings-on through history. Awesome class and I urge everyone to take it even if you don't have to.

Gibbs is by far the best professor I have had at the UA. His lectures are enticing and the content is great (supported by the fact that I went to my 9:30am lecture half dead from my 21st the night before at the Buff!!!) . I HIGHLY recommend his HIST450 class on US foreign relations since 1918; dont listen to those slackers who denounce him!

Very fun teacher to listen to. Unabashedly realistic in his assessment of history, despite it being politically incorrect. Tells it like it is, and not how we want it to be. Tests are writing-intensive, while term paper is large and professor grades and ensures against plagiarism like a nazi.Looking to take another class with him.

One of the best professors I've had. Currently trying to get into his clas senxt semester. You can tell that he is passionate about this topic and he is incredibly knowledgable. His humor is incredibly dry and probably goes over many students' heads, but nonetheless makes class even more interesting. Get a front row seat in his lectures.

A great lecturer. He is very opinionated, but he is pretty brilliant. The exams were easy, as was the paper. The readings were very interesting but ultimately unnecessary.

The most interesting, most informative class I had during my time at the U of A. Mr. Gibbs is very knowledgeable and makes himself available for questions. I'm a right-winger and a veteran, so we agreed on almost nothing politically, but he's a respectful guy who won't shut you down just for having different views. Great debates, and a great class.

Gibbs arrives to class empty handed and makes his way to the podium. The moment class is set to begin he dives into his lecture at a brisk, energetic pace. Instantly, I'm mesmerized by its content; fascinating, accessible, vast. I type furiously. But suddenly, it ends. And for the first time in my life, I don't want class to end.

This professor is excellent and passionate about his work! Just remember that his class may offend you and be prepared to learn a lot.

You're lucky if you get to have his class. He's a genius and has his Dr. from MIT. This is the best class I've ever taken. I never liked history but this blew my mind. He can be hard because he's incredibly smart but if you want a great class where you just have to write down the 3 things he writes down every class to make an A lol, take this class

EXCELLENT! The best. He has opinions about US foreign policy, based on his knowledge. Everyone should take his classes.

Fantastic, brilliant, inspiring. A true teacher, passionate about revealing the truth and eliminating white washing from American History.

Dr. Gibbs is not a particularly nice guy but he is brilliant and I found him and his class fascinating. It's true though that there were only 3 assignment all semester but I didn't think he graded them too harshly. Just be ready for him to bash on the United States government and its foreign policy all semester (which is deserved).

Yes, David Gibbs is a little dull, but he has a dry sense of humor. He mostly uses sarcasm in his classes. He welcomes opinions from students.

He is liberal and I love it. He is amazingly smart; yes he can be dull sometimes. You can learn a lot from him.

This was my first experience with a class that focused on politics so i was not entirely sure what to expect, However much to my surprise this was one of my favorite classes. Although challenging the class was extremely interesting. lectures were simple w/out ppts but he keeps the lectures interesting and there are only four assignments due.

Most oftentimes, Gibbs uses the lectures as a platform for his personal beliefs. That's pretty ironic in a class that focuses on propaganda. It wasn't worth to get up at 7 AM when it was more than a 50/50 chance I'd just have to listen to him rant. Would not take again or recommend.

I am an Econ major, and I went into this history class thinking it was going to be painful. It was not in the slightest bit. Mr. Gibbs is a very sweet and intelligent man. He really knows his material and takes the time to make sure everyone understands his points. 10 Papers + attendance is your grade. If you average A on the papers, no finals. (:

Gibbs is a smart and intelligent man. Yes, he can come across as 'arrogant' but that's his personality, get over it. He likes to shares his opinions which is fine. Overall, course is great and simple - ATTEND CLASS take notes and you will do well. TA's Joe, James and Clea are very helpful. I personally went to Joe most of the time and he was great

Prof. Gibbs is GOLD, his lectures tend to give out a lot of info so you might want to attend those. You will read George Orwell's 1984 (which is awesome). A couple of essays and extra credit opportunity. Make sure to study the fallacies for the first exam, and George Orwell's book for the second one. Overall a piece of cake, I hardly showed up.

Amazing lectures. Doesn't take attendance, but you wont do well if you skip. No homework, just listen and take notes in class and you'll be good.

Gibbs is a good professor. You can get abundant knowledge from his class. However, it is hard to take notes in his lectures because he never uses powerpoints, and all grades are essay exams.

Although attendance is not mandatory, you must show up to class if you want to do well. Lectures easy to follow, so you wont be bored. Class is very test heavy, those are the only grades in the class, but there is an optional final if you feel unhappy with your overall grade. Class content was very interesting and will be useful in later life.

Great professor. Kind of a hard ass. He likes to ask people questions and he will end up answering the question. Only a midterm, rough draft of research paper, and final draft are grades in the course. Teaches a lot regarding foreign policy. Easy grader, would recommend to anyone.

This course made me nervous when I first selected it, but, honestly, it was a pretty solid choice. It is graded by few things, so you have to do well, but as long as you study, you'll be fine! The reading was not very necessary except for definitions on the first exam. Second exam was a take home essay. Third was in class essay. Very helpful TAs!

Gibbs is the man. Took him my freshman year. One of the most interesting dudes you will ever come across. Take for the life experience. Listening to him is awesome.

Professor Gibbs is one of the smartest guys out there. His lectures are always super interesting and attendance isn't mandatory but you won't do well if you don't go. The tests are hard but if you study a lot you'll be fine. The TAs are also super nice and helpful. For sure my favorite/most interesting class !!!

***NOTE: Have not taken gen-eds with Gibbs, just HIST300s/400s for major You HAVE to show up and you HAVE read. That being said, his lectures are fascinating, he engages with students a lot, and I have re-read some of the readings after the class finished. His classes are a lot of work but they are 100% worth it if you have the time to put into it.

He is a very disciplined professor, calls out students who are one minute late, which is unnecessary. He is very enthusiastic about the subject, but his bias is very clear. Other than that, he is a great professor, not your typical history course, it is more a political science course.

Professor Gibbs was a very understanding professor that cared about his students doing well in class. You must attend lecture or you will not do well on the tests. It's a pretty easy class if you study and pay attention during lectures.

I took Introduction to Political History in Fall 2021, it was one of my favorite classes. Its lecture intensive and your grade is based on 3 exams. 2 of the exams are multiple choice with a writing component and the last exam is a timed essay. If you skip class its difficult to catch up. The textbook doesnt help, I wouldnt recommend buying it.

Gibbs is great if you absorb lectures well and are already interested in history or political science. He's old school - 2 handwritten exams and 2 papers makeup your entire grade. Attendance isn't mandatory but he tests on the lecture alone, so show up. Slightly boring lectures, if you can follow instructions and write well you'll do fine.

His capstone class was pretty straight forward and I felt very lucky that he allowed me to pick the topic I wrote considering it was a couple years outside of the set time frame. Attendance is required, midterm and final 20 page paper. He is very knowledgeable so he can point you in the right direction if you're lost!

Dr. Gibbs is extremely knowledgable. The exams are entirely based on lecture content so if you don't show up to every class, you won't do well. His classes are very informative and he's good at answering questions - don't be afraid to engage with him. Some reviews say he's boring (maybe, if you don't care for the subject), but he can be very funny.

Gibbs is great, but don't bother wasting your time, and his, if you're not a highly motivated student. Not because this class is hard, but because it is so engaging and interesting.

Prof. Gibbs is a fascinating professor. He describes himself as "not a feelings" guy, so he's not really someone to find support and make connections with. But he makes up for it as an instructor. His lectures are extremely interesting and the guy has knowledge for decades. Taking his courses are really cool experiences. But come ready to learn.

Prof. Gibbs is very knowledgeable, but attendance is mandatory as exams rely heavily on lecture content. The class can be engaging if you're interested in the subject, though some may find the professor's bias evident. Using unstuck study alongside the textbook helped me prepare effectively.

Professor Gibbs is extremely intelligent. His lectures could be a bit monotonous, but the actual content of them is interesting, insightful, and relevant. Just make sure to show up for the lectures and you'll be set.