Carnes is really tough, but he is definitely willing to help and his lectures are very interesting. You'll have to read a lot though, and you'll have to work a lot for his tests.

Very smart, interesting, friendly professor. You have to go to class because he has clicker quizzes daily. Somewhat tough grader, but I learned a lot. If you have to take CPS, take him.

Prof. Carnes was a great professor to take if you are into government and politics. You pretty much had to do the readings for the clicker quizzes. Only 2 essays during the semester, a 3-5 and a 5-7 pager. You have 4 letters to the editor which are super easy and graded pass fail. Also midterm and final.

There's a lot of reading, and you have to do it because of the clicker quiz questions each class. The 2 essays weren't bad, but I guess grading depends on your TA. The tests were pretty hard. The final was cumulative, yet there were only 4 IDs and 2 essay questions. But Carnes is a great guy and extremely intelligent. It's obvious he really cares.

Love him. No laptops, but its ok because he's an awesome lecturer! Daily clicker quizzes make reading and attendance mandatory. Two 5 pages papers: not bad. Two exams: you will need to study. He really cares about the class and his students. (Plus, no 20 pg country paper!) Take him!

An asset to Georgetown, Fr. Carnes is one of the few professors, particularly in the gov't dept, who realizes the ideal "cura personalis." He is a wonderful instructor who is always extraordinarily prepared for his lectures and goes above and beyond to be available and clear for his students. He is also extremely knowledgeable about his subject.

One of the most genuine, helpful professors I've had so far at Georgetown. Carnes is awesome.

Father Carnes is amazing! He is very passionate about the subject matter and teaches it in a way that makes a lot of sense. The papers are actually interesting to write and the midterm and final aren't too bad as long as you study. Fr. Carnes is an inspiration to all, I HIGHLY recommend taking him!

Fr. Carnes CPS class was probably the most demanding class I have taken at Georgetown. Be sure to get a good TA and make sure to be extremely concise in your tests and papers.

Father Carnes really cares about the students and does a great job in lecture keeping the students engaged by using clicker questions. his Jesuit background shows up as he really cares about how decisions shape the world and is always checking in to make sure the students are doing well. tests/paper fair but hard and reading is interesting.

One of the best professors I've had at Georgetown. There is a ton of reading but you can get away with not doing all of it as long as you take detailed notes on the authors he/your TAs mention the most in class. Papers are straight-forward and don't involve the readings, midterms are also straight-forward but there is lots of material. Recommended!

One of the best professors at Georgetown. Engaging, funny, innovative, and flexible, he presents what could be very boring material in a passionate and interesting way. Material is intriguing, and he is always willing to meet you outside the classroom to discuss both academics and life. While his TAs are less than par, the man is the best.

You can definitely tell that Father Carnes is passionate about the subject. One of the clearest lecturers I've had at Georgetown, especially when it comes to keeping the attention a class as large as this one. Clicker questions actually help you follow the lectures. He really cares about how you're doing in and out of class!

A great professor who tries to make a very large class interesting and engaging. A lot of reading with clicker questions on the readings, but manageable. 2 papers, midterm, final, all requiring thought, but fairly graded. I highly recommend Father Carnes.

Father Carnes is an excellent professor who is passionate about social justice and really cares about the wellbeing of his students, both in and out of the classroom. He has exemplified the true meaning and value of a Jesuit education. Keep up with the readings and concepts of this class and you will leave with a more sophisticated worldview.

Aside from being a wealth of knowledge, Fr. Carnes demonstrates a genuine concern for his students and their success - both inside and outside the classroom. The class is challenging but fair and demands a lot of reading but is worth the time. Take this class and you will realize how fortunate you are to receive a Jesuit education. Wonderful class!

Seriously one of my most favorite professors at Georgetown so far. For a huge lecture course, it is very engaging and fun. Lots of reading to keep up with, but it is well worth it. Highly highly recommended!!!!!!

Great teacher. Lots of reading, but most of it is pretty interesting. He gives some awesome lectures and definitely keeps your attention for the entire class. One of the best professors I've had at Georgetown. Highly recommend him.

Professor Carnes is a great guy who really cares about his students and wants people to learn. The course is a bit reading-intensive, but it's not impossible at all to do all of the readings, especially because they're usually pretty interesting anyway. He's a great guy and probably one of the best CPS professors at Georgetown by far.

Great lecturer. Very clear and very engaging, even in a class of 200 students. Lots of reading, but manageable. Tests are challenging because of the amount of material, but very fair and do-able.

Father Carnes is one of the best professors I have had at Georgetown! Excellent lectures, crystal clear, and very helpful to students outside class. Genuine cares about students. A lot of reading, and your grade is pretty much entirely determined by TAs, but the class is worth taking for Carnes alone (esp. for those for have to take CPS).

My favorite professor this semester! As others have said, a lot of reading and its not easy, but Carnes is a great teacher and he really cares about the material and students. His enthusiasm is infectious.

Though Carnes demands a lot from his students, he puts so much into his classes and it shows. Excellent,engaging, clear speaker-- best professor I had this semester.

Father Carnes is simply outstanding. CPS with him is no cakewalk: you must be an active and regular participant, and the papers and exams require a real commitment. But his passion, clarity and knowledge make it all worth it. His lectures are dynamic and he's always great to talk with in office hours. You can't leave Georgetown without taking him!

Truly an inspiring teacher. Clearly cares immensely about students, their values, and aspirations down the road. He makes the class. You will work, but def worth the effort

An amazing teacher. Made material interesting, with great lectures. I-clickers were used very well. Not an easy class, but if you do all the readings, not an overly hard class either. TAs were also very good. Grade consisted mainly of a midterm, a final, and two papers, as well as participation.

Really great!

The best professor I have had so far at Georgetown. Inspiring and engaging, he makes a 250 person lecture feel like a discussion section. He cares about his students and motivates them to do their best - not just in the class, but in the world. Go to his office hours frequently - you won't regret hearing his wisdom.

Learned a lot, assignments very theoretical and challenging. Clickers enhanced the class. Frustrating that couldn't use a computer in class. Overall, professor was very engaging and inspiring. Everything you would hope a Jesuit teacher brings to the classroom.

CPS was very difficult, but awesome. He is one of the best teachers I've ever had- totally worth the many pages of reading.

Best professor in the world. Made the class completely worth my time, I would take any class given by him.

Professor Carnes is a great lecturer and will keep you engaged no matter your state of mind. There is a lot of reading and the test are challenging. As long as you keep up, the class is extremely rewarding.

Awesome class (CPS). Extremely smart and knowledgeable, and cares a lot about his students. Reading is heavy, but doable, and worth it for lectures. Test essays were a little tricky, but the ID's are solid points if you study well enough. The 2 papers assigned are not that long, but you need to devote a lot of energy to the content and analytics.

Contrary to most people, found him a very, very boring lecturer. He tried really hard to engage the class but just went over basic material way too slowly. Papers were interesting and not too difficult, but exams were graded fairly harshly.

I agree with the commenter below me. Exams were graded extremely harshly with vague questions-even after studying much more thoroughly for the final I only did 2 points better than the midterm. The amount of reading assigned was fair. Lectures were often slow. To top it off, I still don't really know what comparative politics is.

Amazing teacher. Extremely willing to help. You have to do the reading but you will learn a ton!

Great teacher, but a difficult course. A lot of reading that you really have to remember, but Carnes is worth it. Awesome subject matter and lectures.

CPS is the most difficult out of the 4 core classes for gvt majors. That said, Carnes did a good job with making the lectures applicable and rather entertaining. You learn a lot and reading is a must. Exams and papers are graded rather harshly but that's because most TA's have something to prove anyhow. My TA was attractive so that helped a bit.

Prof.Carnes is funny and extremely knowledgeable. He is also approachable and will make you want to get to know him as a person.

Incredible professor. Makes lectures interesting. About 2-3 readings per a class. Very helpful during office hours. Highly recommend.

Great professor. Very passionate about the subject. Lots of reading, but a fair amount of it is interesting. Definitely a hard class, but its a good challenge that you'll take a lot away from. The best CPS professor in terms of learning. Exams really depend on the TA so make sure to do really well on the papers. TAs were good though.

Fr. Carnes is awesome and lights up all of Reiss auditorium with his brilliance, which is saying a lot because the auditorium is pretty big. He's a great lecturer, is energetic, and enjoys talking with students. Downside: TAs do all the grading, which is based all on two essay tests and two papers. (I happened to not do so well on the TA end.)

Father Carnes is the most exceptionally brilliant and committed professor I have interacted with at Georgetown. As my CPS professor my sophomore year, and thesis advisor this year, I've found him to be an inspiring resource. Do not leave Georgetown without taking a class with him: he exemplifies every value our university seeks to promote.

Father Carnes is an incredible professor. He gives outstanding lectures and really knows how to get people to care about his subject. Grading varies depending on your TA.

Excellent professor. He genuinely cares about each and every one of his students and it shows. Of course it's hard and there are plenty of readings, but for this required class there's no better option.

Best professor I have had at Georgetown. His class made me switch my major to Government. Carnes is a fantastic lecturer, and genuinely cares about each student even in a large lecture class. The work load is a push, but the material is interesting and you learn a lot. Definitely take him!

Lectures are clear and usually very interesting. Grade is made up of participation, a midterm, a final and two papers and depends on your TA. Would recommend for CPS.

One of the kindest and most inspiring professors around. Very easy to follow-in fact, lecture can be a bit boring as he explains simple things over and over. But the midterm and final require you to know the readings and think about their big implications. Two papers that take a fair amount of thought and research for a good grade

(This man quoted Mean Girls in lecture. That's literally all you need to know.) Fr. Carnes is absolutely one of the best professors at Georgetown. He is exceptionally knowledgeable, and works really hard to make sure that the course material is relevant and interesting. He is also very helpful and genuinely cares about all his students. Go to OH!

Great lecturer. In the middle of the semester, things may seem unconnected, but he really brings it together at the end. Cares about his students a lot -- his last lecture is wonderful. Material for CPS was very interesting as well.

Comparative Political Systems becomes fascinating Always puts in 100% into his class Really, really cares about YOU Never lets you fall through the cracks Excellent speaker Society of Jesus Inspirational Sage-like knowledge of government League of his own Enthusiastic Gem of a Jesuit Eagerly would take again Noble Defined by love

This class isn't the world changing experience that people claim it is, but it's still a good choice for CPS. Carnes is a good lecturer, though classes can be repetitive. He's surprisingly awkward in office hours, and probably won't remember your name, even though he claims to want to know everyone. You'll spend a lot of time studying for the tests

I loved my CPS class, Carnes is one of the good ones.

By far, the best professor I've taken at Georgetown. Only wish he could teach another course- would sign up for it in a heartbeat! Fantastic lecturer; really knows his stuff. And just a wonderful person; always made himself available and really cares for his students. Do the readings, attend lecture, and you'll do fine. TAKE THIS CLASS!

What can I say. Fr. Carnes is a legend, and he lives up to it. I've been in large classes and seminars alike, and I have never seen another instructor who can capture the attention of the entire class for the duration of lecture. Assignments are very clearly explained, and he's always available. Take it, you won't regret it! Loved him.

Professor Carnes is truly one of the best professors I have had here. Some professors are not worth the tuition we pay, but that's not the case. He's a great lecturer, really cares about his students , and will from time to time pause class to talk about important current events. I will never forget the class after the 2016 Presidential Elections.

I totally agree that Fr. Carnes cares about students. However, I think he does better in class than in office hours with individual students. His class is very tough, and how well you can do really depends on if you are a more lecture-oriented or office-hours-oriented person. And honestly, your grades almost completely depend on your TA/the TAs

Probably the best lecturer I've had at Georgetown. The class is tough, but he lays everything out very clearly and explains the content very well. He is an inspiring speaker and consistently ties the content into our lives. Take him if you can, you'll be excited to come to his lectures.

Difficult class, but not overwhelming. As long as you do the readings, pay attention in class/section, and study a lot for exams you'll be fine. Getting an A is hard though. Don't need to pay too much attention to lectures, but just know any terms Carnes may bring up. Midterm is fair, but there wasn't enough time. Final is same format (plus MC).

All-star teacher. Course materials were carefully chosen, and his lectures are amazing. Must take him. Pretty sure he only teaches CPS in the fall, so take that into account

I found Carnes's lectures very engaging and easy to follow. You need to keep up with the readings and really follow his recommendations for how to read and structure your papers to do well. Like any big gov class, the TAs make up the big part of your experience. I respected his ability to separate his personal beliefs from the lectures.

Father Carnes is a very interesting lecturer. However, he is not very helpful one-on-one, and is a bit sarcastic. The TAs determine your grade, so make sure you work with yours. The class material itself is interesting. The exams are all based on the reading, so make sure you do it!

Govt 040 is hard no matter what. Father Carnes is tough no doubt; a lot of readings, you can't BS the papers and you write the entire time for the tests. That said, I have never gotten more out of a class than I did his; he changed my outlook on my major, on what I want to spend my life doing and overall, he inspires you to be a better scholar.

You have to go to lecture to pass but I wouldn't have missed a lecture anyway. He's an incredible lecturer and makes the content really interesting. Both papers were a lot of work though start research early. 10/10 would take again I feel so much smarter now.

Father Carnes is a really incredible professor. His lectures are very engaging and I found the assignments really interesting. You'll have to work hard in this class, but it's worth it. It's clear Carnes really cares about students and wants the best for everyone in class. Really good choice for CPS!

Professor Carnes is a wonderful lecturer and a great person who cares deeply about his students. The course itself is quite difficult, with a significant amount of reading and intense papers and exams, but Carnes is the best professor to take it with. However, your TA will impact your experience.

Carnes is a professor who has earned his spot at Georgetown, and you can definitely tell. Sure, there is a good bit of reading but in the end you'll actually learn a lot and he is a very caring person to each individual student regardless of class size.

CPS with Fr. Carnes is truly a very rewarding class and he makes the lectures engaging. However, he is definitely better in lecture than office hours, and its hard to disagree with him. Also, your TA makes or breaks your grade, and my TA happened to hinder my experience of the class a little bit. But overall, I would highly recommend it!

2 papers, 1 Midterm, 1 final, and clicker questions/participation in discussion. He really cares about his students, but being a first year this class was very intimidating. Exams are basically id terms from all the readings throughout the year- kinda unreasonable.

Prof. Carnes was so caring during this virtual semester! He put so much work into adapting his lectures for a zoom format! The grading criteria can be unclear-- he says "to go above and beyond" but never really clarifies what he is looking for. A decent amount of reading... but this is definitely a classic G'Town class with an awesome prof!

Fr. Carnes is very inspirational and cares deeply about his students. However, he has very meticulous grading criteria and you will have to memorize an insane amount of authors and readings to get a good grade on exams. Paper grades and course experience also depend on your TA.

He was accomodating in an online semester (with extensions & a take home final), but lots of reading (pretty typical of an intro Gov course). Midterm, final & 2 papers midterm/final are memorizing authors, but plenty of quizlets for review out there. Grading is TA dependent. Lectures are interactive/recorded & discussion sections were good.

Good lecturer and very caring and considerate. I didn't really *learn* anything in the class, but Carnes' lectures made me reconsider political/social problems in new ways. Reading heavy, & some are very interesting, but not necessary to do all (caveat: reduced expectations in pandemic). Two medium-length papers, but TA decides 100% of your grade.

Father Carnes is an awesome choice for CPS! He's honestly one of the sweetest and most caring teachers I've ever had, you can tell that he looks out for every one of his students. His lectures were interesting and funny as well, even if he doesn't teach that much "new" material. Assignments aren't too bad, but grading is TA-dependent so YMMV.

He is an extremely caring, funny, flexible and effective professor but the class is overhyped. The papers didn't relate to the readings or subjects mentioned in class and exams were solely author memorization (lots of authors). Often unclear grading criteria and your grade depended on which TA graded your stuff.

Professor Carnes' CPS readings and lectures were both interesting and relevant. It's safe to say I learned a lot of useful information from this class. The readings are doable, and his essay topics were also quite interesting. However, I did feel that the TAs graded the exams quite difficultly and arbitrarily, definitely more so than the essays.

absolutely amazing guy and knowledgeable professor, extremely caring, lectures are quite heavy at times and Father Carnes gives way too much homework, overhyped but probably the best option for CPS, if you are interested in Latin America and Africa and don't want simply Europe all the time, take this class

Father Carnes is amazing! I love his class! His lectures are super interesting, and you can tell that he truly cares about his students. Despite the large class size, the lectures feel personal and engaging. There are two essays in comp. political systems, and they are both pretty fun to write.

Carnes is a solid choice. I think his greatest quality is that he makes you interested in the topics being discussed. There are many things that we learned about that I had previously been uninterested in or turned-off by but became interested in after he taught about them. However, he does assign a good chunk of reading, and the grade scale is meh

The GOAT. The most inspiring professor I've had at Georgetown and someone who continuously reminds you of the real-world impact you have. Yes, lots of reading, but the engaging lectures and level of instruction he provides make it 100% worth it. MUST-TAKE!

Fr. Carnes is a fantastic lecturer. He takes a relatively dry topic and makes it relevant, engaging, and even inspiring. He's working to foster comparativists, and does it with care + awesome lectures.

Depends on TA but should be a breeze for juniors and seniors. Not a lot of work compared to most other gov classes.

Father Carnes is an excellent professor. Very engaging, made class interesting. Lots of reading, and grading is not easy (done by TA but try to be consistent throughout TAs). Squeaked out an A- and proud of it. Discussion could be a little boring but class was awesome. Amazing professor.

Gradings done by TAs which was a little rough, and 80% of the course is four assignments all of which had a B or B+ average. However, lectures are very interesting. LOTS of readings, but generally those were interesting too.

Fr. Carnes is one of the most knowledgeable professors I've ever encountered, and lectures are really engaging -- a perception possibly influenced by the iClicker questions. He has a compelling sense of politics as a "high calling" thanks to his Jesuit ethic. It is definitely difficult, though, and much of your experience will depend on your TA.

Super caring professor, but the class is very challenging. Be prepared to put in a lot of work, especially for exams/papers.

This class is INTENSE, especially for freshman fall. The midterm and finals were based on rote memorization, and there were 1400 pages of reading and 60 authors throughout the entire semester. 40% of your grade comes from 2 papers, and the TA's grade HARSHLY. Only take this if you HAVE to, but Carnes is definitely the better option for CPS.

fr. carnes is a great person but this class is A LOT of reading and work in general -- but probably the best option for cps

Carnes is a great lecturer, but lectures are simple for how tough the papers and tests were. Tests are entirely memorization, and paper grading felt rather arbitrary (you are provided with a "formula," but no clear criteria on how it's graded). That being said, CPS is tough regardless -- and Carnes does make an effort for it to suck a little less.

Carnes is a great lecturer but the material gets repetitive quick. Grading is TA dependent but the rubrics are fairly tough.

This is an introductory course, so it feels more like a survey of topics in comparative politics than a deep dive into the subject, but that is to be expected. Graded on two papers, a midterm, and a final. Papers are fun but challenging to write. The only negative thing is the tests, which are based heavily on memorization. Great professor in all.

The person who said you will feel like you survived a literal war when you finish was correct. This has been the most challenging class I've taken, but standing on the other side the most rewarding. I can see why some don't like him, but we're here at Georgetown for classes like these. Not an easy A, a lot is expected of you, but worth it.

Prof. Carnes is a kind soul and really seems to care about each and every one of us. He spiced up lecture with fun videos and songs. He told amazing stories. Really one of the best people at GU. Try to go to lecture. When it comes to the tests, they are a bit narrow and there isn't much room for error. But the essays were pretty straight forward.

Prof. Carnes is a caring lecturer, but the class can be demanding. Lots of reading and memorization required for exams. unstuck AI was a lifesaver for consolidating notes and concepts. Attend office hours and use study tools to succeed.