Professor Davies is a really funny guy which helps because he lectures like there is no tomorrow. The class was short and I always had a ton of notes. It was a cool class and the tests were rather easy.

great teacher with loads of information! tests weren't easy, but weren't impossible either. you take tons of notes!

NOTES!!!! Get ready for lecture but grades easy on the tests and offers extra credit. he's funny too.

Prof. Davies is one of my fav professors! He's super helpful and easy to understand. He's a great teacher, who really cares--no, really, he'll explain it 'till you get it. He's always available for office hours and isn't a very difficult grader. I don't

No Comments

international politics with Davies is better than any other teacher

its all true, Davies kicks ass and if you fail his class your just lazy or stupid.

Great prof! Don't get much better than this. He's smart, funny, and rather engaging. He can get off subject and talk on an unrelated topic but he's always interesting so who cares. Much loved by his students.

No Comments

He is the most awesome professor at Sac State. He's funny and cares alot about the students. Weekly quizzes, and if you miss one you can make it by the next Wednesday no questions asked. He needs to teach more upper division classes, take him for as many classes as you can

My favorite professor on campus. He shows so much enthusiasm for what he teaches and greatly cares about his students. Ask him anything and he can give you an answer. If he genuinely doesn't know, he will always get back to you next class. I wish he taught more upper division courses.

He is a hardcore lecturer. He will speak from start to finish of class most times. Current event quizzes occasionally and some text quizzes. Midterms not too hard. Good lecturer, but very little discussion or breakup of the monotany. Take him on days when you don't have a huge load, he will be great.

He's a great teacher. It may be hard to get the good grade if you're already not very interested in the subject. Overall, his lectures are good and his humor breaks the monotony of the facts. However, his lectures last the entire period.

I enjoyed the World Politics class a lot because of the discussions in class. There were a few things to be aware of: [1)You have to read a lot and the book has no glossary/index. 2)There are quizzes every week based on the reading. 3)Lots of memorization of political parties.] Keep up with the reading and pay attention in class.

I'm taking his class currently, while balancing 5 others. I transferred here and was a bit pissed off I had to take 3 residency GE electives at sac, despite having completed 100 units. Anyway, he's entertaining and has a broad understanding of the subject. He's specific on what you are tested on, and openly engages the class. Great speaker.TakeHim

Fun class. Very fair grading-level to effort-level ratio: you get out what you put in. And don't hesitate to challenge his opinion, stroll in a few minutes late every so often or openly poke fun at his daily mini coke drinks. This dude is a super chill cat. Whether you are the blurt-out-in-class vocal type or the silent observer this class is for y

Lots of reading. But he keeps you interested. The class is good

Great class! Attendance isn't required, but extra credit for perfect attendance. Tests based on lecture & book, so take good notes. You will need the Irony book, but not the Cali book. Get that from the Reserve Book Rm. Weekly quizes, 1/2 current events, 1/2 book. 1 midterm, 1 final, in blue book. 1 10-pg paper. LONG Lecturer! I RECOMMEND!!!

Great class! I enjoyed it very much. Lectures the entire class period, but they are entertaining and engaging. His lecture style makes you smile. He's got wit and charm and knows his stuff pretty well. Discussion was encouraged, but we did run out of room for the California section. But hey! that's what Govt. 180 is for!

I really liked his teaching style, he gave you the facts and his take on them without forcing his opinions on you. He lets you interpret the politics in a paper and two exams. I didn't like the current events quizzes but that was more cause I lagged. Very informative class--work hard or moderately and you can get a descent grade.

Informative class, lots of work, but nice guy, easy to pass. Weekly quiz: textbook key terms (impossible to pass w/o flashcard studying), no need to read if you take GOOD notes. Books needed for terms, attendance will swing your grade at end of semester (takes role). Must watch/read BBC news every other wk. for quizzes too (annoying). 10 pg. paper.

Knows what he is talking about. He is very enthusiastic about teaching. His lectures are very dry though and his tests are 1/2 blue bk and 1/2 scantron. He does lecture the entire time but will allow for students to chime in from time to time. I found his tests to be relevant to his lectures but reading the text is crucial in getting a B or an A.

awesome teacher.

He is a very good teacher. he is passionate about his job. Very helpful. His quizzes are not too difficult as long as you study the terms, read the book, and watch the BBC when he tells you to. He hands out a study guide for the midterm. 25 multiple choice, one essay question (he gives you the possible choices on the study guide)

If you enjoy govt, take this class. He is enthusiastic about his lectures so he makes it lively and interesting. If you DO NOT have a single interest in govt do not take this class. He lectures nonstop. Sometimes it's hard to stay awake. Overall, quizzes and midterms are EASY. Although if you want to avoid a 10 page paper, do not take this class.

He's awesome.

Very amusing and knowledgeable teacher. Quizzes and tests are fairly graded. He does lecture quite a bit which makes the last 15 minutes go by slowly, but for the most part the lecture is interesting and engrossing. Definitely worthwhile to take for GE.

Excellent lecturer, knowledgeable and passionate about the subject matter, explains what can be very dry theory with interesting, relevant examples. Quizzes & exams are straightforward and not difficult if you attend lectures & read the assigned material, but essay grading is a bit tough. Overall a fun class if you enjoy PoliSci.

i absolutely love him. i hate history& government & anything that has to do with politics, but he made it interesting & i was actually able to pay attention. he assigns a 8 pg paper which he grades easy. quiz almost every week but he gives a study guide so its easy. also midterm & final come with study guide and cheat sheet. DEFINITELY RECOMMEND

definitely the easiest and by far the most interesting gov class i've ever had. i love love love him.

Professor is great and loves the topic, you can tell there's a lot he wants to cover but can't in a survey course, definitely smart. Always willing to go into detail and cracks plenty of jokes to keep you awake at 8 am.

He real seems like he knows what he's talking about. I did find the textbooks very monotonous. Still he's a great teacher and i would recommend him.

Great Professor. Interesting,funny, knows his stuff, and happy to help. Some have said he lectures all period, to a degree he does. However, he won't talk the whole time if people engage in the conversation. I wish this professor taught more upper division courses. I would take him for anything.Two text books,quizes, midterm, final, a term paper.

Excellent lecturer - able to make the European Union interesting even with all it's acronyms. Nice mix of essay with other forms of testing. Current events quizzes kept me up-to-date. I liked being forced to learn the geography of Europe. I recommend this class!

I absolutely loved his class! Great lecturer and is always willing to go the distance to help a student out when they are not understanding the material. Funny guy, has a lot of wit and will keep you on your toes. Wish I could take more classes from him, he us just pure AWESOME!

Passionate about subject, lectures EASY to follow, makes lectures witty and easy to listen to, quizzes are relevent to text and current events. I hated politics/govt but Prof Davies is making it much more enjoyable. I highly recommend his class and this professor!

Awesome professor. Really knows his stuff and knows a lot of odd but fun interesting details. Very lenient with coming in late or whatsoever and is very interactive if you want to be. I never found myself dazing off or bored as his style is interesting, professional, and fun. RECOMMENDED!!!!

Very good teacher. He is understanding and loves to talk to you. You can ask any question and he won't make you feel stupid, and will answer it clearly. Gives quizzes every week on terms from the books and current events off the BBC website. Also had a paper and 2 exams. I recommend him!

>great professor, very approachable, answers questions, seems like easy grader of essays. midterm & final based on quizes so you know what to study, allowed one flashcard with whatever you want on it for them. quiz every friday but he tells you topic. extra credit for attendence and extra credit available if you watch a movie and write short essay

Class is all lecture, two chapters of reading per week or BBC articles. Quizzes every week, 1 midterm 1 final, and 1 8-10 paper on foreign politics. Class is really boring, unless you find politics interesting. Don't take him unless you find politics fascinating, or you will fail.

Well spoken, passionate, and a good lecturer. I am interested in politics, but I could see many who weren't getting into his lectures. Makes the topic fun! One of the few classes I had to take that I really, really, enjoyed!

A little demanding for a GE class, but not too hard. quizzes every week, dropped the lowest two scores. current events quizzes based off the news in the sacramento bee, not too bad if your local and have access to the news paper. i recommend him though

Quizzes every week. Midterm. Final. One 8-10 page paper. Nope. Demanding class, professor loves essays--as there are two essay questions on the final. He's a great guy. The class is something else. Unless you're interested in international govts and whatnot.

Good professor. He lectures without powerpoint. You have weekly quizzes on either vocab words or current events. Gives a study guide for vocab quizzes. Super easy. Drops the lowest 2 scores. Have a midterm and final (with study guides) and 8-10 paper. Easy class if you attend every day.

Davies is a great lecturer! I disliked the current events quizzes but the other quizzes were straight from the book and very straight forward. Offers extra credit. Make sure to get the book. He likes essay questions. A little demanding for a GE class, but bearable. I totally slacked and got a C+. He's a really nice guy though! I recommend.

I really enjoyed his lectures! He keeps your interest and material is easy to follow. Weekly Quizzes are given in current events or vocab from the book. Vocab quiz answers are in the book by definition! Extra Credit for high attendance. The midterm and final are several essay question and MC so you do need to keep up with the material & study.

Great professor. Very objective. Won't shove his own bias down your throat. Excellent lectures. Offers extra credit if you attend class. Weekly quizzes on key terms (need textbook here) and current events. Not the easiest class, but an excellent professor.

Weekly quizzes on vocab and a few on current events. There is a paper to be done but it was fairly easy, finished it in about 2 days. Vocab may seem too much but you will eventually know what he will quiz you on. Really easy grader on my essays, they were so unorganized and off topic. If I had studied harder, I would have a A.

Has two textbooks he uses for the weekly quizzes and lectures. Weekly quizzes are given out that are based on vocab and current events. Surprised I passed this class considering I failed most of his quizzes. Do good on his exams and paper (which wasn't hard) and you'll be fine.

Professor Davies is wonderful! He's down to earth, passionate about comparative politics, highly knowledgeable about European government, provides helpful answers to questions, and sticks to a clear (yet concise) outline every class. A great sense of humor, understands students' personal lives and needs, and a joy to listen to. Take him!

Perfect attendance results in a 2% increase in ur grade at the end of the semester. There are weekly quizzes, a midterm, a 10-12 page paper, and a final. Plus 1 extra credit opportunity. BUT, bring your phone & sit in the back cuz his lectures are incredibly dry & boring--he just reads off of a piece of paper. Easy class but don't fool yourself.

By far the best GOVT professor at Sac State. Presents the material in an unbiased, objective manner which is something very hard to find in GOVT departments. He's not the easiest, you'll have to do some work to get a decent grade, but if you show up to class and put in a decent amount of effort, I can guarantee that you'll pass.

Professor Davies is one of the best in the Government department! His lectures are however very dry and monotonous (he reads through his notes). This however, does not take away from the class itself as he makes the material interesting enough if you pay attention. Goes off on related tangents here and there but that spices up the subject a bit.

There's a quiz every week--either on current events or topics from the book. He is very lecture based so if you like to listen and take notes, this is perfect for you. I do feel like some of the essay guidelines (tests and research paper) were not clear. I was surprised with some of the gradescomments I received. Overall, he is a great!

Honestly the hardest, and most interesting class I've experienced. This class to me was like a roller coaster ride. It had its ups and downs, however I've pulled through because I was not afraid in asking questions. Simple as that. Davies is in my opinion the best lecturer here on Campus. Overall, it is a tough class, yet rewarding!

I took Prof Davies for gov 1. You will learn the mere basics of government here. I learned a hell of a lot of information. Weekly quizzes that are from the textbook and current events (worth 10% of overall grade). You have to pay attention and take good notes from his lectures. Awesome prof who knows what he's talking about. JUST DO IT.

Quizzes every week on chapter vocabulary or current events. no powerpoints just lectures and if you're good at taking notes while he lectures you'll do fine. 2 exams but he gives you a study guide and lets you use a note card on tests. 1 research paper. Not really easy yet not very hard. Show up, take notes and you'll pass. Good professor overall

Davies is very knowledgeable and answers all your questions thoroughly. Furthermore, his lectures are very important so you must attend class. You can use your lecture notes to prepare for the midterm and the final. Prefect attendance is also extra credit. Finally, there are quizzes every week. If you try, you will get an A.

Overall, I found his class to be interesting and learned a lot. When he talks about current events and other topics, there are some views I hadn't considered before. The quizzes arent hard, theyre just either vocab/current events. Show up to class. Start your paper early. Can use notecard for exams. Multiple choice part of exam was similiar to quiz

I have taken Professor Davies 3 times during my time here at Sac State. About 10 quizzes, 2 exams (notecards) and a 8-10 page paper. He is one of the easiest graders on campus. Put in the work and you'll get what you deserve. As a Government major, I am kind of bummed he's not teaching 170. He is truly a Gem!

Honestly GOV 150 is a hard class because it is upper division. You have to be able to put in effort to get a passing grade. He lets you use a whole notecard on the midterm and final. Weekly quizzes on the reading and Sac Bee. And the midterm and final q's are taken right from quizzes u already took!!!! The 8-10 page paper was the hardest thing

Davies was pretty solid. He gets off topic but he knows his stuff and is pretty funny! He might seem unapproachable but when I went to his office hours he was nice and chill.

Davies was the only class i got a B+ and not an A in this semester and mostly because you really have to work for that A and focus on the exams and quizzes mostly. I got a 90 on the paper, 85 on the first exam, and my weekly quizzes fluctuated between 7-10 out of 10.

Great professor. Would recommend this Davies for any major. Davies goes into great depth about the international system and you learn a lot from his lectures. Gives extra credit in his class and allows students to use note cards on his exams. Half the quizzes in his class for 130 are on current events and he drops the lowest 2 quizzes.

If you want a professor who rewards a lot of extra credit and makes the class entertaining, then Davies is your man. Davies lets students use a notecard on the exams and lets you turn in papers late with a 4% penalty per day. But really Davies is an expert on the politics in the international system and you will learn alot from his lectures.

Davies is good, but a tad bland and kind of hard to predict on grading. Hands out Ba like candy, but As are kinda rare in terms of papers and essay questions on exams. Doesnt give very good feedback, but nonetheless youll learn a lot of information, especially with the weekly quizzes. All in all I always felt i didnt learn as much as I couldve

Easily one of the best Professors in the Political Science Department at Sac State. Really knows his stuff, offers a lot of opportunities to help students pass his classes, and fully expands into the struggle for power in the international system. Davies is very passionate about what he teaches and really wants to share his knowledge with students.

Davies has been teaching at Sac State for over decade and is very passionate about teaching International Affairs and Comparative Politics. The tests and quizzes he assigns are easy because he hands out study guides and he also allows us to have a note card with us during exams. Quizzes are easy too because they're mostly on current events.

I enjoyed Davies a lot as a professor and thought his lectures were super interesting. Weekly quizzes on the textbooks, but are quite easy if you actually take the time and study the definitions and words. The class had 2 papers, fairly easy. This is not a class you want to skip the readings in. Attend lectures, they're helpful. Enjoyed this class.

If you need to take an IR class he would be the one. Weekly quizzes based of textbooks or current events. 1 midterm 1 final. Gives study guides. One research paper 10 pages. It was hard and boring if you arent a IR major. but he is better than the other profs. Very old school though. No canvas or online notes but he is open to help very laid back

Davies is a passionate, very knowledgable professor. His lectures tended to be interesting, but he does drift off topic now and then. Sometimes I had a difficult time following along because of this but in general he is a pretty solid professor for POLS courses. He assigns quite a bit of reading info not all in lecture, so stay committed to that.

Professor Davies is very knowledgeable about his subject matter. Grades are based on weekly quizzes (based on reading or current events), midterm/final, and a paper. He is very clear about assignments, assignment criteria, and due dates. He gives lectures which can seem boring/un-engaging, but he tries to make them funny. Easy class if you read

Easy class if you show up, take notes, read, and study for weekly quizzes. Not too difficult. Lots of EC opportunities on the quizzes. A midterm, final, and 8-10 pg. research paper. Paper was the most difficult, so do contact him if you need some help. Very straight-forward class.

I respect Professor Davies, he is such an understanding professor and always replied to my emails. He even replied on the weekend. He has interesting lectures and his personality makes his lectures interesting. He has a reasonable expectations for the course. The course had one big final essay, quizzes every week, reading & lectures.

As a Political Science major I was required to that this class but its a well taught course for everyone to take if theyre interested in the subject. Professor Davies makes this class interesting and easy enough to understand. Reading is required as there were quizzes and a 10 page essay but its all straightforward and easy enough for anyone.

Professor Davies has been cool this semester. He is very passionate about what he does, and his weekly tests are straightforward if you read the book a little and pay attention in class. Attendance isn't mandatory, but definitely pop in once a week. My only issue with his class is the paper. It's very long, and has many specific requirements.

This class was ok, required for my major so I had to take it, but I bet it could have been worse. Boring lectures and goes off on tangents frequently when student prompts him. Not a fan of the book reviews as the extra credit opportunity because no college student has time to read a whole book just to add 3% points to your final grade.

I really liked Prof. Davies. I had him for POLS 144 and he has really interesting lectures, although he can get off topic at times. You have one really big paper due at the end of the semester and small weekly quizzes but as long as you attend class you should do great!

Lots of lectures but he mostly reiterates what's in the textbooks. Attendance isn't mandatory but you'll get extra credit if you have good attendance. I found the class easy to understand and was helped by his use of metaphors and his answers to my questions. So long as you stay on top of the deadlines and look at grading criteria, you'll pass

Professor Davies is awesome! I wish I found him when I first started at Sac State. I struggled with POLS 130 and dropped out previously, but Davies explains the material clearly. The quizzes are easy if you read. He gives a study guide for the reading quizzes which helps tremendously. Also, go to class. You learn much more and it helps on the exam

If you are good at test taking I would take this class, two textbooks are required that cost more than $80, and you have to get a subscription for quizzes, quizzes every week from the textbook, and sacbee subscription. Lectures are somewhat interesting. 2 midterms, one 8-10 page paper

Pretty easy professor, very approachable and easy going! Encourages class discussion!

I loved the lectures! Quizzes are in person either on vocabulary from the textbook or current events. These are worth 10% of your grade and complete about 11 quizzes the entire semester. Best if you prep right away for these quizzes once announced, especially the vocabulary!

Davies is laidback and easygoing! Lectures are interesting and he encourages class discussions. I heard he's retiring this year and you can tell (not a bad thing but he kinda seems over it). Lots of quizzes but they're pretty straightforward. I Don't know how much longer he'll be teaching, but take his class if you get the chance!

I had professor Davies for both POLS 140 (Comparative politics) and POLS 144 (european politics). Fall 2024 was his last semester as he is now retired, but he was an amazing teacher. weekly quizzes (he would always give study guides), one extra credit assignment, one 10-12 page paper, and 1 midterm, and 1 final. Super awesome and easy class!

Lectures can be dry, but the professor is approachable. Weekly quizzes from the textbook and a research paper are the main assessments. Prep thoroughly and use resources like Unstuckstudy to stay on top of the workload.