2.5
Quality3.9
Difficulty9%
Would Retake97
Reviews9%
Would Retake
97
Reviews
Rating DistributionOfficial
5
15
4
16
3
12
2
30
1
24
What Students Say
“Don't take this professor if you want to graduate”
POS - 1.0 rating“Avoid him at all costs”
POS3184 - 2.0 ratingClass Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
67%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.23 avg changeRatings by Course
AMNATGOVT
5.0
(1)POS02041
4.0
(1)POS2002
4.0
(1)POL3301
4.0
(1)POS4424
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
SLGOVT
5.0
AMERNATGOV
5.0
AMERICANGOVT
5.0
USGOVERNMENT
5.0
POS3142
5.0
Reviews (97)
MAKES YOU WISH YOU WERE NEVER BORN
Boring as hell, sitting in here right now. I will concur with the other rater, "Makes you wish you were never born" Uses some crappy text book that he helped write, and it sucks big b*lls. He has a reputation, which he "lives up to"
His tests are multiple choice, and come mainly from the notes
His class is boring, BUT I like to learn about politics so it can be interesting, he gives a lot of notes and is a hard grader but his test are really easy come straight from notes and word for from study guide, he is a very nice guy!
Benton...hmm I pretty much agree the man is boring and it's inescapable; you WILL fall asleep at least once in his class.I find that drawing pretty pictures and pretending that he's tap dancing help me stay awake...but yeah he's very long winded and hard
He makes the class interesting. His test are super easy IF you go to class and study just a little bit! He is also very helpful outside the classroom!
Major bore but not hard. He gets off the topic alot and so it's easy to fall asleep. Don't need to read the book. Focus on the notes and you'll be fine.
Looks like Donahue. Grades very hard and unconventional. A 93 is a b! The tests can be easy if your prepare, but I'm not sure if the messed up grading scale is worth it. He's interesting if you like the subject matter.
BOOORRRIIINNG!!!! This class bored me so much I ended up getting a C. Save yourself...don't take his class.
I thought he was GREAT! He makes a boring subject very interesting, and you will gain knowledge that you will actually use. His grading scale is unconventional, but if you put forth any effort you will do well.
Worries more about himself than anyone else and could care less about students. If you're ready to hear about his luncheons with the mayor this is the class for you. Other than that he's a grade A JERK!!! You don't see many of those letters in his class.
No Comments
Verrry boring. Too opinionated and doesn't have a problem with letting students know things last minute. Did I say he was very boring yet?
I hate this guy. I don't care about your opinion on Tampa's roadways, your radio show, or your daughter that plays soccer. Tell me the information or cancel class. For such a hard grader... he seems to waste our time with nonsense quite often.
One word to describe his class: BORING! He makes a dull subject even more dull and goes off on tangents about himself and how he knows all these govt officals,etc. His tests are horrible!Its impossible to get a B let alone an A. Im sure hes really a nice guy but this class is horrible!DONT TAKE HIM!
The class structure is boring as hell because of the way he lectures. He tries to make jokes and occasionaly includes the class in debate. If you're intrested in Poly Sci then you may enjoy the class, if you're not, you will hate the class and find it obscenely boring.
oh my god, this class is sooo boring. but he takes role EVERY day, so make sure you have someont to sign u in when ur not there. if u miss 5+ days, u lose a letter grade. it was torture!
He is very opinionated. His grading system is ridiculous and he gives no study guides for a five chapter test. Any thing goes. He talks at you rather than a class discussion. Did I mention very boring!
Benton is the WORST professor I have ever had. His class is hard as hell, he is no help, as well as an ****. in order to get an A- our class had to average 94% on each exam! Your entire grade is based on 3 exams. Attendance can only hurt your grade, not help. DO NOT TAKE ANY OF HIS CLASSES!!
I thought he was really good. He lectured and taught just like my APUSH teacher, the only thing is that he required class attendance. Half his tests came from the review book, so as long as you study that you're good.
his class is so boring. His grading scale is like highschool and sucks. He teaches like a highschool teacher, and is not helpful at all. I was 2 points away from a C, and the a****** would not even help one bit. Dont EVER TAKE THIS CLASS. oh ya by the way, HE TAKES ATTENDENTCE every day
This class was interesting before and now I am changing my major. Class was boring and you had to have perfect scores on all tests to get a decent grade in the class. Attendance was pointless as anybody could sign anybody in.
Because there is too much to say, and not enough space, I've made a list of things I got from his class: No knowledge of what he said in lectures because of the overload of overhead notes which caused writer's cramp, a "better luck next time" when trying to get help, a horrible grading scale, & more
A loser. The most boring teacher at the university. Incomprehensible at times and a quy who makes constant digressions into subjects no college student would ever have an interest in. Another USF dud. Certainly not hot either. God did not bless this republican.
Really bad. Boring. Weird guy.
Sooooooo boring. He's a nice guy who tries to make the subject interesting. Despite what others say, using the study book will only help you so much. The class is tough and if you think you can handle it, than God be with you. However, I have to admit, at least he knows his subject.
He was interesting. The material came alive sometimes. It's tough to get a large lecture class motivated about politics. His lectures seemes to drone on sometimes, but that's usually when I didn't read the material beforehand. He'll help you however you can if you just ask.
he did not help at all. if you want a prof that all he dose is try to show how smart he is, than take his class. he also has the worst grading scale in the university
The class was boring at times and the grading scale sucked. Overall though I was pleased with the teacher and with my grade in the class.
This class is not only dry as a bone but don't count on the material you are told study to be on the test. If you need this for a prerec take this puppy at comunity collage!!
Absolutly awful! He is very unclear on what is going to be on the test, and refuses to meet with students outside of his office hours. Definatly the worst teacher I have ever had.
I don't understand some of the other comments students have made. Dr. Benton is one of the easiest professors to take. If you showed up to class & read the assignments you should not have had a hard time, even with the grading scale. There were never any surprise questions.
If you have a hard time in Dr. Benton's class, you don't belong in college. He is one of the easiest instructors I have ever had. If you show up to class, read the material, and study for exams, you should have no problem getting a good grade. Tests are multiple choice and come straight from his lectures, readings, and study booklet.
Pros: very organized lectures; picks test questions from his lectures (dont get the book); hes pretty energetic and makes the subject interesting. Cons: uses a +/- grading scale where a "-" hurts your GPA but a "+" dosent help it; very tough grader on his tests and papers; he loves to hear his own voice so expect to be in class the whole time
Beware of writers cramp and horrendous grading scale! Consider yourself lucky if you get over a C in his class. Looks like Donahue with the personality of a rock...an egotistical,long winded, evil rock.
People seem to either think this guy is super easy or super hard. I didn't like class, but thought it was a pretty easy A. If you have all the class notes, don't read the book. If you plan on attending every class, don't buy it. Just memorize his notes (especially when he lists things) and the class is a snap.
All i have to say is that this guy is an old dirty **** who****young girls. He's soo boring, u won't to shoot urself during class. Thinks he's something great, tries to show his importance, he's really just a loser! I got an A in the class cuz all you is memorize notes, but you have to go to class, which is torturous. Take someone else!!!
kept asking for more detail. Way overstudied and still could not pass. I observed several other students tests and they had less info and better grades; However, they were female. I did sense bias towards women. If you are female and can handwrite a few pages in 45 mins his class is easy. If you male AVOID!!
notes right out of the bk word for word! We had 2 write a 15-20pg paper. Taught the class by sections & objectives(~7-10 objectives/section). exams are on 2 sections and you have 2 pick 2ques out of 4. Memorize the sections! U cant study 1 section & answer 2ques only from that section. He finally caught on2 that! Overconfident, U work 4 ur grade.
Demands 2 much memorization 4 handwritten exams. Boring lecture. Found out that the class was only memorizing 1 section for exams instead of the 2 that we shouldve been, so dont try that. Easy A if you can memorize lots of material b/c all U have 2 do is recite facts on exam. He's very helpful if U go 2 him. Show a little interest & U'll B his pet!
test are STRAIGHT from his notes...you will need to write more than just what he puts up on overheads and the book readings are pointless...you might want to skim the book for extra clarity but the exams are STRAIGHT from the notes...class is boring so dont expect to be wowed!!
Such a great class, easssssyyyyy. his test come EXACTLY from the notes....make flascards, know your notes and you should make an A on every exam. No one shows up to his class because its a bit boring, all note taking..and then come on here and write horrible comments. do not believe them. go to class and you will get an A. Every question is somethi
Not a fair man. I missed maybe two classes, took all the notes and studied from his lectures and never made over a C on his tests. He expected too much info on the tests and was quite insulting to a few of us. Not compassionate person, dont take unless you have to.
I attended every class, he only grades on your test, so the best 3out of 4, he also grades on a 8 point scale. If you schedule to see him outside his class he will either be 30 minutes late or not show up at all. His classes are very boring, part of it is the overhead, and part of it is what he says, his information comes straight out of the book.
DO NOT BUY THE BOOK. I bought the two books and NEVER used them. Copy the overheads that he puts up and study them. The classes are very boring but you need the information for the test as he doesn't post the slides. Study 2 sections for the test and thats it. I would suggest taking this with McManus. I have heard she is great.
Exams come DIRECTLY from the notes in class. NO JOKE. Also, the textbook is pretty much useless unless you want to compare notes with the text. The only thing is: you get 3 tests...that's it. But he curves...every exam.
Good Class. Easy B if not an A. Tests come directly from the notes and are curved. Lecture is a little boring and a lot of copying but eveything you copy will be on the test.
Consider my self a good student but he has unrealistic expectations on exams. DO NOT TAKE.
It was clear on the first day that Dr. Benton conducted his class much differently than other professors. He quickly justified social Darwinism and that there exists 'liberal' bias in most professors. Has almost no tangible understanding of political or economic theory. I am a student of Philosophy and P.S. This class was the only that I have left.
HARD PROFESSOR. Let me just state that my first day of class there was 48 students, the last day there were 11. DO NOT TAKE He's a nice guys don't get me wrong, but his expectations are way to high. I guess he doesn't think about that fact that we are just undergraduate student not graduate. AVOID!
Avoid this class. The lecture is very boring, he reads his notes word for word with very little to add then makes the notes available on blackboard. He assigns books he has written (which are overpriced and hard to find). The tests are essay form and there is a 10 page paper assigned based on an article and book he has written.
pretty much a waste of time and INK espically unless you can memorize 60 pages of notes word for word. his tests are eassy and you pick 2 out 4 questions to answer, and if you do not write every single thing exactly word for word you get an F.wants you to memorize about 20 pages of notes for a each test.and he can't not hear anyone speak.
Slightly boring, he has an extremely monotone voice and he loves to use large words and explain easy topics for a long time. Very helpful professor, always willing to go the extra mile to help his students. The material is very dry, I fell asleep in class several times but still managed an A. Don't by the book his tests come straight out of his not
Avoid this man at ALL costs! He has his own grading scale which has a 75%=D,and he words his questions in a way that confuses you no matter how well you know the information (and I know the information quite well).Avoid Benton as if he were the plague,unless you want to here name dropping and boring stories that have nothing to do w/class content.
this class was boring-Dr B talks and you listen-no discussion. gives countless examples of the simplest things and goes on about all the things he is or has been involved with. that said-if you study the notes,you can get a good grade. Tests questions are confusing I agree
Confusing monologue. Had to be corrected by students several times. We were tested on material not covered in class or the text. Will not answer your questions. Tests aim to trick students by applying key words associated with one concept towards a different concept, leaving the test taker confused. Do not take his class. He should retire.
Dr. Benton's class was ok...kind of boring though. He uses a tough 8-point grading scale and tests are difficult. STUDY YOUR NOTES...know them inside and out, take your time reading the test questions, and you will do well. Flashcards helped me a lot. He's a nice guy, I think many people are just mad they didn't study enough!!
Worst professor ever, very boring. Makes easy topics difficult, loves to see students fail. RETIRE NOW BENTON
One of the worst professors I have come across. He takes no interest in his subject; the only time he does anything for the class is lectures and 3 times a year taking scantrons to the machine for grading. Notes and tests are the same semester to semester. Tests geared towards tricking students. 8-Point grade scale is geared towards lower grades.
If you can find another section with a different teacher I would advise it. The people that did well memorized exactly what he said in class, word for word. If that was not what you did, you got a poor grade. He expects a lot, which is understandable, but it HAS TO BE WORD FOR WORD.
He gives you the notes at the beginning of the semester now on BB, just print out, bring to class, and review them for tests. Add to these notes when necessary (he will note some things he left out) and review them (I made some flashcards for SC cases, Ammendments, etc). The tests aren't too bad if you review the notes and come to class.
This is a hard teacher. He is not as bad to speak to when you show him what you know about politics. Try challenging him abit, wouldn't hurt as bad if your a Poli-Sci major at USF, since you will likely have him. About his tests, they are simply a measure of what he knows and not what you learned. He claims he teaches/grades like a Harvard teacher.
He has Horrible expectations..Im a good student who studies hard and I still couldnt make anything past a b in his class..His grading scale is unfair a 84% is a B- ( thats just crazy)...usually i dont say avoid teachers...BUT AVOID HIM IF YOU CAN..and he talks alot so it may be pretty boring
This is the worst professor I've come across in all my years of school. He changes the grading scale to his liking. Pick a different section and different professor if u know what's good for u.
He grades on an 8point scale, which makes you work harder for your grade. He takes attendance, can't miss too much or you drop a letter grade. Tests are ALL LECTURE so coming to class is important. He makes himself available to help you so take advantage this is a tough class!
He pays lip service too much, he may claim he likes you but its likely not always true. For one I got 4 tests into his class...all were F's the first was a 59%, then they fell off from there. I am a good student in mostly every class but not his. So unless your a musician and can remember verbatim what is on the notes and his musings-then stay away
This guy is nuts. He grades the essay tests with strict, black/white rules. No matter how hard I studied or tried I could not do well in this class. Don't bother buying his book. His lame stories and overt conservatism are annoying. Attendance policy was crazy too. Avoid at all costs!
Benton is a tough grader, but, he is an incredible teacher and the best I ever had during my past three years in college. If you're looking for an easy A, dont go to him, but if you're looking for an EDUCATION, he is IDEAL. He grades tough but the education you receive from his course is priceless. I recommend him to only SERIOUS PoliSci students.
His name is Edwin not Edward. He gives multiple choice tests, an outline for the notes, and always stops to ask if there are any questions. Not the easiest class but really not that hard either
Moderately easy class but very boring. Lecture every day with a powerpoint. Exhausts topics but always answers questions. Gives 3 multiple choice tests with optional final. Anything he talks about in class is on the tests, he doesn't take thing he hasn't talked about from the book. Easy class if you're interested, hard to pay attention otherwise.
Most favorite/challenging. I forgot to rate when I was in school, I'm going back and it is important to mention such great doctors/professors. All essay test/20 pg paper at end of term but if you read before going to class and add his notes to your own, you will succeed. Make sure to have a buddy or two to compare notes in case you miss a day.
AVOID AT ALL COSTS - benton is an intelligent person when it comes to FL politics, however the tests are 100% essay. EVERYONE failed the first test. His grading is absolutely unfair and his classes are 100% lecture and powerpoint. DO NOT TAKE THIS GUY
He tests can be very hard, however, once you find his method of grading you should do fine. The majority of the class(including me) received an F the first test. But I made an A- or higher on every test since. He gives notes. Do not deviate from his notes, it's his way of telling you exactly what he expects on his test.He's willing to help.
Try and take anyone else that you can. He doesn't grade on a 100 point scale. If you get 80% of the questions right on a test it means you got a C. He lets you have 6 absences but then you loose a letter grade or fail. He only gives 3 tests multiple choice tests and nothing else.
Do not take this class! He grades on an 8 point scale and his tests are extremely hard. It did not matter how much I studied I still could not pass his class.
Hard teacher but fair. Despite what people think, he does not want anyone to fail. Highly intelligent.
Essay tests impossible i wrote about everything from the lecture and book i could remember. This created two five page essays in a in class test and still failed. Four people in the class ended up passing.
He lectures from a PowerPoint of notes and grades on an 8 point scale. The class was boring and the attendance policy provides for only 6 unexcused absences before a letter grade is dropped. Take POS2112 at a community college instead of USF as this professor is to be avoided. 2000 level PolySci related courses are better taken at a comm college.
Avoid him at all costs. You will likely fail the first test, and do not expect to do well on the tests unless you study for hours and hours exhaustively. I made the mistake of not looking him up before this and it was a horrible mistake. Horrible stories, essays only, and he will never, EVER give you a 100%. Do not take this class.
Not a course for the weak. All exams are handwritten essays. He is extremely critical when grading. For the first test of five, most students receive an F and he states that this is "normal." Different grading scale because of it. Good man. Bad Teacher. Can not communicate well to his students the expectations of his tests thus the high W rate.
I'm not sure if his attendance policy changes year by year because in my class, anything over two absences dropped you one letter grade. I do not recommend taking this course or any course by this man. It's an extremely boring lecture and the text he advises to use is useless for the tests. I studied as much as I could but eventually had to drop.
Don't take this professor if you want to graduate.
Must attend class but lectures keep interest. Tough but fair grading. Will help if questions asked
Covers vast amounts of materials in class. He knows the book you're assigned, he wrote it (he'll tell you all about that) Get ready for a first test deflation. Almost no one passed the first. Tests were entirely essay, and graded extremely subjectively. Avoid this class.
The discussions are very hard to receive full credit. The short quizzes that you take a pretty easy, but there are three hard exams.
I honestly was not ready for this man. I took two classes with and my GPA reflects that (harsh). Benton is very honest and sure of himself, hes worked for everything he's done and will let you know this. Able to expound on anything, but he does not give breaks; he is tenured and takes his position seriously. He sees his style as Ivy League level.
Do not take this class. He is ancient in the way he operates, including, basing his exams/content off of studies and journals from the 70s/80s which are not factual anymore. If you are actually interested and knowledgeable about politics he'll make you want to rip your hair out. Wish I could go on, but Ill save that for my letter to the dept.
I'm taking him right now online and he's TANKING my GPA. We've taken 2/3 of his tests and I've failed both of them. Unless you do well on all discussion posts and quizzes, and ace every test besides 1 there's no chance you're getting an A. No EC. I'm considering submitting S/U for his class, I'm failing a level 2000 course. Ridiculous.
You will have an essay exam every other week. You will fail the first exam, almost guaranteed. His feedback will be illegible and unhelpful. You will receive no exam rubric. Rambling 3 hr lectures. The class averages on our first 2 exams was a 55. The only way to pass his class is to take him twice. AVOID AT ALL COST, DO NOT ATTEMPT, NOT WORTH IT!!
Hardest class I have taken in my 3 years of college. Has 3 exams throughout, that if you fail one, youre done for. It doesnt matter if you get 100% on everything else. I barley managed to get an 80%. Does not answer his email. Very hard grader. This should be an easy entry level class, but he has made it harder than some 4000/5000 level classes.
Professor J Edwin Benton is by far one of the worst instructors of education you may ever take. He has been at the university for 44+ years. He DOES NOT USE CANVAS, and uses the syllabus for important dates for assignments. he will force you to jump through hoops to even mildly succeed in this course.
3 exams count for majority of grade, if you fail the first may as well drop. Oddly the discussion boards only count for 2 points and the unlimited attempt quizzes are 4. According to his grade scale a 78.4 is a C not a C+. Hard to get a 100 on the discussions and the exams are tough as well. Hardest 2000 level class I've taken. Can't recommend.
According to him a 77.6 is a C not a C+. An 88.2 is a B not a B+. A 98.5 is an A not an A+. Best part is a 80.8 is a B but not a B-. A 90.6 is an A not an A-. I don't understand the logic. Also expect a ton of typos in emails, announcements, and exams.
This professor and his class are awful! My friend also had a bad experience, he grades very harshly and is generally unfair. His tests are unnecessarily difficult and specific and he offers no help whatsoever not even extra credit, and doesn't answer his emails. If you're a poli sci student or thinking about taking this class RUN Run far away!!!
I do not know where to begin this professor is impossible to please and high encourage to avoid at all cost. Everyone except 1 person failed the first exam and the second received a C despite the fact that it was a take home exam and we were allowed to use notes and almost my entire essay answer was pulled FROM HIS NOTES. Lectures are boring
This is the worst teacher ive had so far. Im the type to challenge myself but in this class you are setting yourself up for failure. Tests are every other week and the way he grades make it seem like you are writing about cats when the prompt is about dolphins. DO NOT TAKE!
Intense class with challenging exams. If you stay on top of the discussions and quizzes, plus use Unstuck study, you can do well despite the professor's grading quirks. Worth the effort if you're serious about political science.
Class Info
Online Classes
100%
Attendance Mandatory
67%
Textbook Required
100%
Grade Predictor
Your expected effort level
Predicted Grade
B-
Grade Distribution
Common Tags
Rating Trend
Declining
-0.23 avg changeRatings by Course
AMNATGOVT
5.0
(1)POS02041
4.0
(1)POS2002
4.0
(1)POL3301
4.0
(1)POS4424
4.0
(1)Difficulty by Course
SLGOVT
5.0
AMERNATGOV
5.0
AMERICANGOVT
5.0
USGOVERNMENT
5.0
POS3142
5.0