A nice and engaging professor.

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He is a great teacher. Very clear and follows the outlines very closely. Don't bother buying the books, you will not need them. I never opened a book and easily got an A.

"Americans! BLAH!" lol. A former UCSB who majored in economics is now a poli sci prof. This prof was very influential and engaging. His lecutres are very promising towards the midterm and the final. I barely used the reading materials, so i give this teacher A+++ Easiness B, beause the TA went nazi on us, and he was nice enough to curve.

Took his French politics class. easy-going, funny, engaging, makes lectures painless. The best poli sci lecturer. absorption of the material was done in class because you want to listen to what he has to say. Genuinely cares about his students pursuing careers in Political Science. No doubt in my mind, i would take another class of his.

Lectures are interesting, grading is easy, and reading is light.

Excellent professor; interesting lectures; fair tests, and a great TA with Gary (totally HOT). I highly recommend Professor Adams class!!

French politics -- very nice prof, fair and balanced in lecture and VERY interested in the topic and in the class's opinions. Somehow I feel like I didn't end up learning very much, though. I feel like what I learned about France in this class during the semester, I've learned about other countries in other classes in a few weeks. Super easy paper.

I thought he was a great professor and I wish I had known about him sooner. He expects you to listen in class, take good notes, and learn the important things from lecture. You don't need to do the reading assignments; they will never be on the test! He encourages discussion and questions in class.

This was his first German Politics class and although it was a fair and straightforward class I feel like I didn't learn that much. The class just moved way to slow. Nevertheless, he's an interesting guy and I would take another one of his classes again if I had the opportunity. Maybe one he has more experience in.

I took Adams for German Pol; the class was really easy. Virtually all of the material on the exams are drawn from his lecture, though I felt a bit unprepared for the final (which was around 60% of the grade). He's a really great professor and is genuinely interested in helping students. Visit him during office hours for great conversations.

Class wasn't hard as long as you goto lectures. Some IDs on the MT and final you can ONLY get my going to lectures as well. Fairly easy class and easy paper.

Take all of this man's classes. Do not question that statement. A little geeky, but hilarious! His lectures are engaging and insightful. Adams only covers the bare essential facts (read: easy) but expresses them so well that one cannot help but learn. By far this was my easiest class but the one I learned the most from. Bloody brilliant.

He is smart and knows what he is talking about. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. This is one of the rare classes where you can learn everything from Notes and get an A. DO NOT be fooled. You do have to study hard. The professor GENUINELY cares about his students, something you dont often see. Do not question taking a class with him.You will regret NOT taking it

He is an amazing lecturer!! I truly looked forward to going to class everyday. But you really have to pay attention in class and take lots of notes, but its not too hard because he lays the material out so nicely that its impossible not to learn. I could ramble on forever about how great he is, but you should just take him and see for yourself!

Best professor I've ever had. A genuinely good person.

Debra Leiter was the TA, and she is pretty bad at teaching and a harsh grader. Prof. Adams is very nice and clear in lecture, but he is not very knowledgeable and sincerely the material actually learned in the class is little, its just nit-picky grading based on semantics and subjective criteria up to the TA's discretion.

Great Class, very clear, he tells you exactly what will be on the exam, it's all written based no multiple choice. If every class is attended there is no reason not to get an easy A. Adams also has done a lot of research for his class making it extremely interesting.

Best professor ever! As long as you go to every class (and take good notes), you will receive a good grade. 99% of midterm/final material you can get just from lecture. I got an A without opening the book once. He gives away a lot of answers for exams and review sessions are VERY helpful. He is funny and jokes a lot. I liked him def recommended!!

Professor Adams is an amazing professor. I don't enjoy many professors, but his class I've thoroughly enjoyed so far (I'm taking his class for summer session). Before I attended this class my interest level in German Politics was somewhat moderate, but this man's brilliant way of lecturing and keeping us awake with jokes works for me. :) Take it!

Amazing professor! Definitely one of the best lecturers I've ever had, and he is absolutely entertaining! His British Politics exams are FAIR - he does not trick/surprise you on his exams. I attended every lecture & took good notes and received an A. Also took German Politics with him - and again, his exams were VERY FAIR & his lectures were funny!

Professor Adams is by far one of the best professors I've had at UC Davis. If you attend class and pay attention, you will do well in this class. Lectures are interesting and he knows a lot about British politics. I really enjoyed this class and would recommend it to anyone. Also, exams are very fair. Just be sure to take good notes!

Professor Adams is the best professor I've had a UCD. He's hilarious, lectures are engaging, you learn A LOT, and the exams are very fair. I took his German politics class and British politics class and enjoyed both. I was actually excited to go to class everyday (I'm a nerd haha). Wish he taught other classes, highly recommend.

Hands down my favorite professor on campus. He's a fabulous lecturer and keeps everyone entertained and interested. The entire class is fair. Attend class, take good notes, and you will get an A. And dont't buy the textbooks! It's not necessary. His classes are the only ones I thoroughly enjoyed studying for. He's the best!

best.professor.at.davis.changed my life and my major :) . he is such an incredible lecturer!!! DO NOT MISS A CHANCE TO TAKE HIS CLASSES!!!

The best professor I've had at Davis so far. Very knowledgeable on British politics and his class has made me watch UK House PMQ videos every Wednesday. Very engaging, very flexible, and overall a great teacher.

Greatest teacher I've had at Davis. He's hilarious and makes class enjoyable to go to. Don't need to buy the textbooks, but you DO have to go to class to do well. No paper, just midterm and final. Gives a study guide and will periodically tell you exactly what you have to write for certain short ID's to get 100%. I HIGHLY recommend him!

Great teacher, and big Giants fan, which was very entertaining when the Giants won the World Series. Very captivating lecturer, no paper, only midterm and final. Good class to take to expand your world view.

I agree with everyone else, Adams is the best! Must attend lecture, readings are not needed but are interesting and help strengthen answers on the exams. HIs lectures are awesome, you wont want to miss them. This guy gives amazing life advice too. Do not miss a chance to take a class with him!

He was a great guy! Had him for a freshman seminar. Pretty goofy, but he was funny. Very enthusiastic about political science, and very willing to help us out in our first year. An interesting guy to talk to and he really cared for his students.

Professor Adams is the best! Super clear and thorough in the course. Took him for both French Politics and German Politics. French interesting but German was a bit harder to understand, however, Professor Adams provides clarity. Super welcoming in office hours. Taking him again for British politics!!!

Doesn't use powerpoint, doesnt know how to use smartsite, literally reads off of his personal non-shared notes all... lecture... long... avoid if you want an engaging topic. He's an animated and expressive professor, and he's very approachable, but he just has a terrible teaching style.

Consider sitting in the front and recording the lecture. It will be to your benefit if you type lectures instead of by hand - and can type fast. If you do this diligently A- is in order. I find his humor really amusing - not polite laughing - more raucous. Very eloquent and a lot of his humor stems from his eloquence and amusing syntax

Doesn't have PPT, be sure to go to class. His lectures are amazing. There is no term paper so your midterm is 40% and final is 60% which means if you did not do well you will screwed up your grade really bad. only 70% from the study guide will be on the test, other 30% will be giving in class.

Adams is a hilarious lecturer and makes it worth your time to attend class. He's a total goofball and makes it known through his jokes and rhetoric. The criteria for grading makes his 2 tests (only class assignments) easy to study for and do well on.

I definitely recommend going to all his lectures. He makes the class interesting. The tests aren't that hard if you went to all his classes and took good notes. His TA's grade the tests, so good luck with that; you might not get the grade you expected. Sometimes he will give an answer to one or two of the exam questions during lecture.

Suchhhhhhh an easy class and easy A IF AND ONLY IF you went to lecture. His midterm and final come straight out of what he says in lecture. So if you attend and take decent notes, its nearly impossible to do poorly. He's very articulate, receptive, and funny!

Not a lot of work, a midterm and a final... So pretty easy in that respect. Lectures are interesting and he is funny, and nice. He is also very relatable. Class goes by decently. I would get the textbooks (RENT!) but you only need them on some info and to further the lectures.

I LOVED having him for British Politics. He clearly knows his stuff! Very funny and not boring at all he is a nice cool dude to get to know! There is readings but thats only to enhance your knowledge. No papers. Midterm and final are all on lecture so if you go and take notes it will be easy. TAKE ANY CLASS WITH HIM

The man is a legend.

One of my favorite professors at Davis! He was super nice and his lectures were interesting! He gives great study guides and truly wants his students to succeed. Looking forward to taking other classes with him.

HANDS DOWN THE SWEETEST KINDEST SOUL I'VE EVER HAD. STORIES SUPER RELEVANT AND A REALLY FUN CLASS! love him

Professor Adams is hands down my favorite professor at Davis: hilarious, helpful, and actually cares about his students. He made British politics super interesting and the class itself is easy. Just attend every lecture and take good notes. One midterm and one final (gives out study guides for both). No need to read or even buy textbooks.

Amazing professor! Genuinely cares about his students and their success. He knows his stuff and makes class entertaining. Midterm (40%), final (60%) with study guides for both. Show up and take good notes because he talks A LOT. Textbooks are not needed (I never used them). Will definitely be taking his French Politics class. TAKE THIS CLASS!

This was my first upper div POL class. Professor Adams made it really enjoyable and his tests were extremely fair. He gives out a study guide that covers a good amount of what'll be on the exam. He doesn't do podcasts or lectures so you're forced to come to class. other than that, he's a great professor and I'd def take him again

HIGHLY RECOMMEND Unlike other poli sci professors at Davis, Adams will not bore you to death in lecture. First test had the same essay questions as the study guide. His final was a bit harder in terms of grading, but he tries his best to tell you exactly what will be on tests. No reading, no papers what's not to like? He also gave a few pep talks.

Professor Adams is THE best PoliSci professor at Davis. He's solid, not monotone, very passionate and kind. OHs are great. Took all his classes in the 147 series. He lectures old school, so don't expect to find notes if you're not going to class unless you have a friend that writes everything down. You have a midterm, and a final. That's it.

He does not require attendance, but if you want an A and an easy, fun way to understand comparative politics show up to class!

Jim Adams is an absolute goofball. His lectures are very easy to follow and he gives you an outline. Nevermind reading, just go to class, take good notes and I can't possibly see how you'd get less than a B in the class. He gives you a solid study guide wherein one of the "example" essay questions ends up on the test verbatim and a bunch of IDs.

Show up to class, listen to his hilarious lectures, and fill out the study guide and you will pass. Glance at the study guide a few times before the test and you will get an A. He seriously could not make it easier for you.

I've taken 3 classes by Adams so far. When it's class registration time the first thing I do is search his name and see if he's teaching. Super nice guy. Textbook not necessary & your grade is midterm + final. Show up to class and take notes. Or don't tbh and pay someone $10 for their notes right before midterms. Either way, easy A.

He is honestly one of the best professors at Davis. His lectures are fun and easy to follow along. His exams are easy as long as you come to class and take notes. He's the man!

Professor Adams is the best political science professor in the department. I took all three of his classes and I wish he taught even more. His lectures are amazing and hilarious and he actually manages to make the material interesting. His tests are really fair and he does his best to help out students. He truly cares about his students.

Professor Adams is such a kind man, and he genuinely cares about his students. His lectures were very easy to comprehend and he gives really good study guides that make you feel very prepared for exams. My only complaint is that I actually wish his lectures were more intensive, so that I could've understood the subject matter in greater depth.

He's a very kind and fun man. He made me understand German politics very easily! His lectures keep you awake, and that's rare at Davis. It's not an easy A, but if you don't get a B in this class than I don't know what to tell you. Super chill dude, I'll definitely take him again.

adams is great, we had 2 midterms and a final. he made class go by so fast and it was actually interesting the whole time. tbh i think his tas this quarter graded kind of hard because adams is very simple in what he thinks is an adequate answer on a test but overall an A is very achievable. hes so sweet and funny and caring.

I don't usually feel strongly about my professors, but Dr. Adams is the best professor that I've ever had. He's incredibly knowledgeable, fair, and his lectures are informative and engaging, which is more than I can say for a lot of the poli sci professors at Davis. If you have a chance to take a class with him, please do it!

Truly an amazing professor, everyone who has the chance should take him. He really cares about all of his students and wants to see everyone get As. He also tells a lot of self-deprecating jokes. Adams is a gem

Hands down the best professor at UCD. He wants every student to pass his class, so he sets it up that way as well. His lectures are interesting and easy to follow. I would recommend taking him.

Prof Adams was amazing! He always did his absolute best to empathize with students and to adjust to the online format. He is the kind of professor that you just know he is in it for the right reasons. He prioritizes students and makes it a point to tell you he believes in you. You don't know how much you need a prof like him until you get it.

Amazing professor. Not only relatively easy classes but very interesting lectures and an overall really nice guy. Tests are mostly essays where if you went to class and remembered/took notes you would get an A. I would take him every quarter if I could.

Professor Adams is clearly passionate about the lecture materials and has a great sense of humor. He's old school and did not prepare slideshows to lecture with. However, it is easy to pay attention and learn. The grading is not easy, but it's also not hard; it's fair.

Greatest prof of all time

Professor Adams has a compelling dad humor that makes the class entertaining. I knew close to nothing about British politics prior to taking the class but that was no issue! A textbook is listed as required but I didn't use it. I wrote the papers based on the information I obtained through lecture in order to get my As.

Truly the gem of Davis! He's such a sweetheart and makes lectures entertaining. He doesn't have crazy assignment or harsh grading criteria, so without the excessive pressure I feel like can enjoy the class and actually LEARN. I think everyone should take one class from him even if you're not a poli sci major because trust me, it will be enjoyable.

Truly one (if not the) best political science teachers over at UCD. He was an absolute treasure and was entirely understanding of the difficulty of the Pandemic. I just wish I had the opportunity to take his class in-person. So if you have the opportunity, go for it!

I have taken two classes with him and he is the best!! I took French politics and now British Politics. He is so accessible to talk to and he truly cares for his students. Best teacher @UCD

Professor Adams is truly one of the friendliest and most understanding professors at UC Davis. Though his lectures did not consist of PowerPoints or any presentation materials, he is still incredibly engaging. There is technically required reading, but I was able to receive an A in his class without completing it.

All the reviews are true, he is an amazing professor. I had him for 147B+C and I hear his in-person classes are different. However he is very engaging, understanding, and fun to listen to. I was able to get an A by only attending lectures and not doing any outside readings. Definitely take him if you can.

Online class, attendance did't matter but the professor made everyone want to show up. Very laid back class, highly recommend. Class is based on 3 short papers (3 pages) and lowest grade is dropped. The final is 6 pages.

A gem of a man; one of the Professors I have come to really respect. Lectures are recorded with audio and video and posted to Canvas. As long as you take notes the class is elementary.

Professor Adams is wonderful with clear expectations on tests and papers. If you watch or show up to lectures and pay attention you will do well. He is very understanding and helpful and really cares about his students.

Professor Adams is absolutely amazing. In his courses, you will learn a lot and you will hopefully be able to enjoy the learning process and have fun with the new information. He breaks down info really well and makes class an encouraging and not intimidating environment. He also has really interesting research

Simply the best, if I could only take 1 professor for the rest of my life it would be him. Words can't explain how awesome he is. Shoutout to the TA Lilly.

All of the other reviews say it all. This guy is truly the best, and you will not regret taking his class. It it very easy to do well, but I also genuinely feel like I learned so much and retained the material I learned. He is a gem!

Simply the GOAT- it's clear why he's rated so highly. A genuinely good person who is extremely engaging during lecture. He records lecture but makes you want to go to class. There was one midterm in which he told us many of the questions that would be on it, a 2-page paper that was quite easy, and he made the final optional due to the strike!

AMAZING professor. His lectures are extremely engaging and full of wit. He does not use lecture slides, but if you pay attention and take notes you'll be fine. He makes British politics (extra) fun, and I can say that has genuinely helped me retain the information. Exams are very easy; he provides you with some of the questions during lecture.

He is the best professor ever!!

easy! only 3 assignments midterm 1 (in-per exam), paper (2 pages), & final (in-per exam). for midterms, he gives study guides, & everything is straightforward. u don't need to come to the lecture or buy the textbook. I really studied for the midterm the day before and went to office hours & got an A. requires some effort obv but overall, very easy!

If only I could take him again, I would. He is 1 of the only 2 poli sci professors who actually cares about their students and tries to make class time interesting. He is always open to emails and questions in class, unlike most. And he grades so nicely and is open to regrades when needed. Thanks, professor!

The best there is, the best there was, the best there ever will be.

I would 100% take Professor Adams again. One of the most amazing professors I have ever had in Political Science. He truly cares about his students and is so entertaining in lecture. Such a nice person with a kind heart who wants his students to succeed, please take him if you get the chance.He really believes in his students.

Professor Adams is a king. Best class I've taken at UC Davis.

The G.O.A.T. Super nice guy, very approachable and humorous. Only had two assignments all year, midterm and final, with each being worth half the grade. Lectures are old school, just him talking and no slides. Super easy to follow, as he provides detailed outlines of each lecture. Take him not just for the A, but for the experience.

You will never laugh so much as you will in a Jim Adams class. One of the best in his field, incredibly engaging lecturer, and he wants to see everyone succeed more than any other professor you'll ever have. Genuinely love the guy, I can't wait to take more classes with him!

James is the best professor I have come across at UC Davis. He is intelligent, caring, and understanding. He is a phenomenal lecturer with so much expertise in his field and somehow also equally as good at translating that passion to every student in his class. I plan on taking as many classes of his as possible, and cannot recommend him enough!!!

I never write reviews for professors, but I feel compelled to for Professor Adams. Professor Adams is among the most caring, intelligent, and respectful professors I have encountered. He can lecture in a way where everyone understands the lesson. He provides a lot of interesting and funny personal stories and I love when he brings up his wife.

Amazing professor, one of my favorites so far at UCD! Lectures were informative and interesting and recordings were available as well. Tests were straightforward and he's very clear on what will/won't be covered. All that said, I learned a lot taking this class and would recommend it to anyone!

I LOVE ADAMS!! Hands down the best poli sci professor I have taken at UCD. I intend to take every class he teaches. class is just midterm/final but he is SUPER clear about what will be on/off the exam. Lectures are engaging and I genuinely feel like I have learned so much. I love this guy

Jim is always my favorite professor here at UCDavis. He is nice, funny, and professional. I have been working with him for more than a year. His understanding on Comparative politics in western democracy is unmatched. Recommend him to all of ucdavis Poli Sci students.

Great professor. Lectures are really fun. There are no assignments just a midterm and final. Only stuff covered in the lectures is on the midterm and final and half the questions are taken directly from the study guide.

As long as you attend lectures and pay attention, you'll get an A! Sometimes Adams reiterates the same premises, and it's easy to zone out, but it helps because he will always repeat and emphasize what you need to know for the exams. The only assignments were the midterm and final, both very easy essay question format tests.

Adams is the nicest professor in Davis! He wants you to succeed and gives lectures that you will remember. He has a good sense of humor and always has something funny to say about what we are learning. He also emphasizes that he is here to help the students learn and succeed and he makes sure that anyone who is willing to learn will do well.

Adams is so sweet and clearly loves his students and what he is teaching. It is only a final and midterm (50% each) but he did offer extra credit through a survey and extensive study guides that were very similar to the exams. I struggled with paying attention because he doesn't use slides but he also will use lecture capture and OH.

Having worked with Jim for two years, I can confidently say he is my favorite professor at UCD. He doesn't use lecture slides, but his lectures are so interesting that students come to his classes despite the recordings being available. He is extremely knowledgeable about comparative West European politics. Midterm & Final are easy if you study.

I had never met a professor that I liked as a person and a professor before Adams. He is hilarious, passionate, and incredibly knowledgeable. His class is graded off a midterm and a final (all writing, no MC), straight from his study guide.

I took all three of his comparative classes. They are extremely easy, only a midterm and a final. He gives out a study guide, and the test is almost exactly the same. He is very lecture-heavy, he'll give a lecture outline to follow along to. His lectures were recorded not sure if they still are. He is very thorough and an amazing professor overall.

Dr. Adams is great! I am not a political science major, but took a course with him because it looked interesting and I wasn't let down. There are a lot of assigned readings, but all the important/tested material was covered in class. Exams are closed note, but he makes it clear what to know and the tests are fair.

Professor Adams is one of the best professors I have had so far at UCD. He is funny, informative, & overall just a really great teacher. He also posts videos of the lectures online which is really helpful. This was his first time teaching this class but I think he did an amazing job & would definitely recommend taking a class with him if you can.

Professor Adams is a delight - his lectures are engaging and he genuinely cares about student success. Tests are straightforward, and Unstuck AI was a helpful study tool alongside the provided materials. Highly recommended for an enjoyable learning experience.

Only complaint is that the prof can go in circles a bit with his lectures, and could talk endlessly if given the opportunity. His philosophy is that attention is earned not given, and it definitely shows! Super entertaining lectures, super accessible outside of class. He also genuinely cares about his students + is knowledgeable and humble!

He's a great teacher and clearly knows a lot, and by his reviews, including mine, it's evident how well loved he is. I will say, though, that I wish he was willing to push the pace and be a little more assertive with his lessons and rhetoric. If you can push him to speak his own mind more it's worth hearing.

Only grades are the midterm and the final each worth about 45% of your grade. Both are easily doable, and paying attention in his lectures is so easy because he is so entertaining. Constantly makes the class chuckle and is also very understanding when it comes to any accomodations. Highly reccommend taking all of his classes if you are POL major.

Best professor at UCD, period.

This is my second time taking this professor, and I have to say, if you ACTUALLY try, you're guaranteed a B. He cares, makes you laugh every lecture, and is upfront about his grading process. 50/50 final midterm, but he gives you practically everything on the tests beforehand. You do not need to read, just listen to lectures (I fs did not read)

I love Professor Adams' class! He made lecture so engaging each topic was super interesting. He is a jokester throughout his lecture's, but in a way that still made you want him to keep teaching his class. The midterm is 50% and so is the final exam, but if you study you can get a good grade as well!

Best professor at UCD 100% this is my third class with him.

Although I would've appreciated some lecture notes, this class was a breeze! Exams were straightforward. Lectures were recorded. Super funny and caring professor. His lectures were very engaging. I look forward to taking his course again in the Spring.