I loved his class, lots of info but it's so interesting

great professor, interesting lectures

No Comments

SNOOOOOOOOZE!!!! I often pass out during his class, its impossible to pay attention. He never involves the class in anything, you just have to sit and listen. Very nice guy, seems willing to help, unless he passes you off to one of his TA's (read:henchmen

Sometimes lectures were kinda boring, but overall they weren't bad. Nice guy, overall interesting class, very intelligent professor

Hes a great prof. His lectures go kind of slow, but you definitely understand what you need to fully. Theres little class involvement, but hes very intelligent and the content is interesting.

All the people who say that he's a tough grader and the exams were hard probably didn't GO to class! If you actually went to class and put the effort in, the class was really good. He's a very smart man and tells good stories relating politics to life.

GO TO CLASS AND YOU WILL BE FINE! I thought he was extremely interesting. You don't have to do the readings, just listen to him. He'll tell you what you need to know.

The lectures can be boring at times, but its generally entertaining. Yes, he is a tough grader and exspects a lot

VERY intellectual. assigns a paper on something similar to his PhD thesis, so you have to know your stuff. Very interesting lectures, usually. Has nice anecdotes. id take him again.

I love this class. He makes the lectures interesting. I have had nothing but positive experiences in asking him questions about papers that are due, or to further explain points he made during a lecture. Very intelligent professor, fun class.

Excellent professor. His lectures were rarely dull and often fascinating. The tests were challenging but if you didn't skip class and payed attention you did well. It would be a pleasure to take him again.

He is absolutely brilliant. He tells you everything you need to know in class -- you just need to listen. He may seem to just keep telling stories but they have points that relate -- pay attention! I loved the class.

He is a fantastic professor who gives extremely interesting lectures. The readings for the class weren't nearly as important as just showing up to class and paying attention. He's a really smart guy who totally knows what he's talking about. You will learn a lot!

Ok the class- so boring, but he is a great professor.. he makes it sort of fun.. as fun as british and french politics go... YOU NEED to either go to class.. or get notes from someone from the previous semester... lol and do NOT buy the books.. useless waste of money.. never opened it.. got an A

Saul Newman is the most Brilliant professor i've had upto this point. His lectures are personally crafted to hammer home the points he's trying to make, and his messages are clear and consistent. He seems to be a versed scholar in many world fields, which makes for lucid yet evident arguments.gosaul

Boring lecture but helpful out of class

He's very enthusiastic about his teaching and his research. He tells interesting stories during his lectures. He's always willing to help students. I would definitely recommend him and if possible, take the honors section!

He he is funny and very knowledgeable. I didn't always get the Jewish humor, but I still appreciated it. In class we only got to talk about Great Britain and France. Still very worth while, just make sure you go to class, tests are based totally on lecture. Would def recommend (especially honors)

No Comments

Awesome professor, Dr. Newman is very well versed in his field and is able to explain abstract concepts in a fashion you can understand. GO TO CLASS because the readings are a joke. Also, make sure to speak up once in a while so he at least knows you. He grades on a curve too so B or B+ work all semester can be an A

Not the easiest class, but you learn a lot. Grades on a curve...not that hard to get an A. Try and keep up with readings, but if you can't it's okay.. His lectures are the ones that count. You'll learn all you need from them. GO TO CLASS and speak up.

hilarious.. hard but hilarious. take good notes. Pick a country that has been in the news recently for your term paper, it makes the case study a lot easier. dont bother buying the books. you only need huntington.

Topics that he covers are relatively boring for people not interested in politics, and slightly boring if you are because it is so elementary. But overall, he is a great professor. You HAVE to go to class, he takes attendance, his tests are based all on lectures. Take good notes and email/meet with him if you want to do well. Books are not needed.

I had in a 120 lecture hall and he was alright. He jokes during his lectures which can be funny but unless you are interested its probably going to be a bit boring. Attendance is taken by the TA. The material is much more about political thoery pertaining to democracy as opposed to history. His grading scale is beneficial and an 85% is an A-.

Interesting class...worth taking! Funny and interesting lectures. Only buy huntington because you'll regret wasting money!

Very smart in his field. He rambles a little bit, but it's a pretty relaxing class. And if you try, you will learn a lot.

I loved him! He teaches through telling anecdotes, which I was apprehensive about at the beginning, but made it really fun! The exams are KILLERS and the paper is really hard. Don't read Soe or Hobsbawm (it's all supplementary), just Huntington (for the paper). In the end, however, I got an A- with an 85 average because he makes up the cutoffs.

Absolutely loved his class. He keeps it very entertaining & I learned so much. I couldn't participate much because I needed outside knowledge of politics most of the time to do so, but I enjoyed listening. His test & paper are challenging, but an A is very possible if you take good notes & study. I recommend his class - one of my favorites..

Go to every class, take LOTS of notes, just copying his powerpoints will not be suffice. he is interesting and extremely knowledgeable. Start the paper earlier than later!

Comparative politics was one of the most useful and engaging classes I have ever taken. I didn't want to miss his class because I enjoyed it so much. Books besides Huntington are useless. Take this class

Despite the fact that the class is completely lectures, Professor Newman is captivating. He integrates relevant experiences into lectures and presents info in an interesting way. He's a fairly hard grader, but it is very possible to do well as long as you take notes and pay close attention.

TAKE THIS CLASS!!! I was wary when I realized there were 150 students in the lecture, but Newman is fascinating, funny, clear, and really knows his stuff. Don't be intimidated by his entourage of 3 TAs... He tells really long stories that seem off-point until the punch line. Very little need to read the textbooks. AMAZING PROFESSOR.

Very interesting class, EXTREMELY HARD GRADER but a nice guy over all. You will never need to use ANY of the textbooks, everything comes from the lecture notes. Go to class, its 10 percent of the grade. Study his notes, go to office hours, and research alot for your paper. Take the class

Excellent professor. I never missed a single class nor did I ever want to. Everyone on here said he grades hard, but I think he grades REALISTICALLY. He expects you to complete your thoughts. Comparative Politics itself is a hard subject. I think he teaches the countries he wants you to learn quite well though.

EXCELLENT PROFESSOR! His class is hard, but doable. Very smart, interesting, and funny guy. Only problem is we didn't cover the entire course as listed on the syllabus. We never got to Brazil. Textbooks aren't needed at all. All readings are supplementary. Got an A for the semester. Wish Newman taught more classes!

Gave very engaging lessons on fascinating material. Only one paper and two tests, all tough but fair. Only problem is that he rambles so much on pointless stories that the material doesn't get finished.

Engaging and entertaining lectures, you will like this class if you like politics. A fair grader if you THINK and don't just regurgitate information. Readings optional. take this class!

BEST PROFESSOR AT AU. Hands down. Take this class. He made what could be a dry topic very interesting with real-life stories. He's very funny and personable. Don't be afraid to speak up in class, either.

Not a lot of required reading in this class. Proffessor knows his stuff. He has a good sense of humor. Exams are usually short answer and essays. There is one research paper. You really have to apply concepts in this class. I recommend it.

Hands down the best prof I've had at AU, if you're a poli sci major then you need to take comparative with him.

Awesome professor. Class was lecture based, he kept it interesting with relevant and funny stories. Midterm and final are short answer/essay. One research paper. Clearly explains what you need to know. Attendance is mandatory but there is leeway for sickness. Helpful during office hours. I highly recommend this professor and this class!

Do not buy the textbooks, you will not need them at all. His lectures don't really mesh with the reading, and all exams are based solely on his lectures.

Very witty and funny guy that definately knows his stuff. Theres only a paper, midterm, and final but hes a pretty fair grader with a pretty good curve. Hes not the most approachable guy but definately a good teacher.

Took it because it was mandatory, wouldn't have otherwise. The class is interesting enough for what it is, he tells jokes and tries to make it more bearable for a lecture class. If you have to take this class, take it with him. I'm interested to see what his other classes are like.

Great prof- he didn't take any b.s., was hilariously blunt, and always had an interesting lecture. Take notes during the class, and start on your paper early. He's great with office hours and always responds to emails promptly.

In my 4 years here, he's been my favorite professor.

Newman's lectures were interesting and he really knows his stuff. Granted, he does talk a lot and tends to get off topic - but I found his stories entertaining. There are two exams, which aren't too hard if you take good notes (they are completely from the lecture). One final paper, pretty straightforward and he'll help you along the way.

so is it a democracy? well you will have to ask saul. great guy, very well inserted into the political science community. if you don't know anything and try to raise your hand he will shut you down...cest la vie. start your paper early, go to office hours and ask smart questions, take really good nottes, and you can get an A easily.

Newman is by far one of the best professors AU has. He compares democratization between countries so clearly that everyone should understand if you actually pay attention. Two tests, one paper - very easy! I wish I could take his class again.

Great professor, great class. Contrary to what most say, it's not too hard to get an A. Didn't study too much, didn't do any of the reading (but took thorough notes), and finished with an A.

He rambles on a bit, but generally everything he has to say is fascinating and relevant in the grand scheme of things

Professor Newman is a great speaker and made the often boring material interesting. He often gives personal stories and makes people laugh at least once every class. It is a hard class though and it is graded on a curve. Only take the course if you are at least somewhat interested in political science and the study of democratization.

Newman is great with lecturing, and made me think differently about many issues aside from just world politics. In comparative politics there are 2 tests, 1 paper and participation. Go to class, pay close attention to his lectures, raise your hand and you'll do well. His exams are very straight forward in relations to his lectures.

Prof. Newman is a really good lecturer. He sometimes goes off topic but is very specific as to what he expects you to know on the topic he is discussing. TAs are REALLY HELPFUL specially with the paper, request Nils Franco if posible. Do the readings, they will make your test grade 10000 times higher. 2 tests one paper and attendance.

Newman is a genius and if you pay attention to the lectures, you'll learn a ton about democratization. But if you are looking for extra help, go to the TAs. Lectures have little to do with reading. Class will be 100 people, but attendance/participation is 10% of grade. Only three assignments all semester, so take them seriously. Would take again.

Professor Newman is an extremely intelligent man but the class itself is a little boring. He spends the whole class lecturing and giving examples that he usually explains with a story. There is a midterm, a final, and one paper so don't screw any assignments up. Also, don't expect him to know your name unless you go to office hours or talk alot.

Professor Newman is amazing. Not many assignments, but if you take good notes and study for the midterm and final you'll have no problem. He is very clear in what he expects. I found the class incredibly interesting.

I loved this class, and I loved this professor. He only has a couple of grades for the semester, the midterm and paper aren't really easy, but I feel like I learned SO MUCH. I was also almost never bored. I really enjoyed the class and it was my favorite one at American University so far.

Honestly, I recommend typing your notes. It's an all lecture class. Type the example he gives you because they make it easier to study at the end and easier to remember. Start your term paper EARLY & this class will be a breeze. Noe helps a lot with term papers! BUT start talking to him early about your paper and he'll FOCUS on HELPING w your paper

If you don't attend lectures, you won't pass. Everything you're tested on is in Saul's terms, nothing that's actually in the textbook

Newman is an incredibly smart guy. Only take his class if you like large-class style teaching. Definitely important to attend and take notes. The whole class is only graded on 3 assignments (besides participation which is just showing up) but he isn't a crazy-hard grader

A fairly easy lecture class: show up, take notes and you should be good. Graded on two exams (on the material covered in the lectures), one paper, and attendance. Newman keeps the content pretty interesting and simple.

Great teacher and used funny stories to explain broad political topics. He was my favorite professor at AU so far

Professor Newman is so amazing!! His class is based off of a few grades but he is generous as long as you put in effort. His lectures are so interesting and funny that i never wanted to miss class. i learned so much and he is definitely one of my favorite professors at AU.

Professor Newman's class was a great introduction to the political systems throughout the world. He gets distracted easily, but his stories are still applicable to the course. He loves to talk about current events, and he has plenty of experience. TAs were great. I've become really close with one of them.

Prof Newman is a professor that cares when his students care. He is a great resource I would recommend going to office hours, he is an amazing professor he is the reason I am a political science major. He is amazing, take him. The best 103 prof at AU

Newman is a very interesting and entertaining instructor. His class is a lecture hall class so he won't know who you are unless you go to office hours. The grade is hard since it is only based on two (hard) exams, attendance, and a term paper so work hard. No homework except for paper.

It's one of the hardest intro level classes I've taken, which definitely shocked me when I first started. But he genuinely will help you out if you ever need anything and wants to make sure you understand everything. He's always available and ready to jump on zoom. If you do your work and devote some time you can get an A.

Professor Newmans class is very lecture heavy. I was in a section with 140 people, which was occasionally chaotic being on zoom. This course is a lot of material with five homework essays, term paper, and midterm/final exams. It could get boring at times, but overall if you work hard and show up youll get at least an A-.

Dr. Newman is definitely one of the best govt profs at AU. He is very well respected in the field, and this is evident in his lectures. I will say though, I didn't love the way TAs graded absolutely everything. However, his grading scale is very generous and works in the favor of students.

Professor Newman was arguably the best Professor I have ever had. He pre-recorded every single lecture video over the summer and made them accessible all semester-long even on your final and midterm! He did challenge your thinking with your midterm, final exam, and term paper but it was all free-response questions. Would HIGHLY recommend his class!

Professor Newman is a great teacher. He had such an effective way of teaching you concepts without you even realizing that the time is passing. Tough but fair grader, and with as few things on the grading scale that meant you had very low range for failure. Still a great professor, and I'd take him again.

He's very knowledgable but beware of his grading scale. It's weighted in an interesting way, so your numerical grade is not your letter grade and you won't find out until the end of the year (for example, if you have an 86, it might be an A instead of a B). HARD HARD grader, but he gives good feedback. Incredible class overall.

Professor Newman is a great lecturer and knowledgeable, but his course is not the best for a first-year student. He never gets through the amount of material he wants to, leaving us to watch HOURS of pre-recorded lectures before the final. Midterm and Final are all open-ended questions, but they are manageable if you understand the lecture material

Professor Newman did an excellent job teaching the course material given it's a big class with over 100 people. While hard for a 100 level class, his lectures were engaging and made it easy to want to learn. He also has prerecorded lectures available on canvas which were really helpful. Put the effort in and you'll learn a lot and do well.