Life changing course that everyone at Umass should take.

Great professor, amazing class. Usually he gives an online lecture, a quiz on the online lecture, and then has an in-class lecture. You'll have to keep a blog of weekly assignments related to a country. Two majors essays and a final exam. Readings and participation matter. Timothy really cares about what you have to say and what you think.

Absolutely fantastic professor. I'm considering a double major in poli sci because of this class. It's the best gen ed you could ever hope to take, and one of the best courses at UMass. If you don't take this class you're a foolish cotton-headed ninnymuggins who will regret your decision for the rest of your sad, sad existence.

This course is NOT your typical gened course. The professor is incredible. His lectures are something I looked forward to every week, and I typically blow off gened classes. There is an online component to the class, so if you don't like that, this isn't the class for you. This course changed my understanding of the world.

Had a very interesting semester with Timothy. He sees things from a different perspective, and allows students the latitude to develop their own ways of seeing comparative politics, while encouraging them to go beyond narrow definitions and schools of thought. It also helps that his lectures are both amusing and informative. 10/10, would do again.

Grade is very much determined by the TAs. The weekly blog posts and quizzes are easy. Essays have substance and are important to final grade but are graded pretty easy. I got an A without buying any of the books, watching any of the movies, and attending half the classes. That being said,Timothy's awesome! Inspirational and takes a new perspective!

Take it. It's a phenomenal class. You need to show up to both lecture and discussion. TAs and Timothy are amazing and genuinely care about your thoughts and opinions regardless of whether or not they align with their own. By far my favorite class I've taken at UMass so far.

Best class I've taken at UMass. Wish all gened courses were this good. TAs for this class were also excellent.

Timothy is iconoclastic and hilarious, and challenges you to think for yourself. I'm a senior who signed up for this course to knock out a graduation requirement. Thought I'd snooze through it, but it rocked my world. His online lectures are just as good as his classroom lectures and the quizzes weren't bad. Two short essays and a final exam.

As a psuedo online/lecture-based course, Timothy combined both video media and real-life interaction to make people understand Comparative Politics. He displayed a level of passion and cognizance for not just his own major, but a deeper understanding of WHY we learn, rather than what we learn. Phenomenal final lecture which left me wanting more.

Frickin' unbelievable class. It's cliche to say, "This class changed my life," but, really, it did. I will never see the world the same way again. Takes the world you thought you knew and turns it upside-down. Take it, it's worth the work you have to put into it.

The final exam for this class is a monster. Makes you study literally everything covered over the entire semester. That said, it's a solid class. Probably one of the best I've ever taken. I liked the mix of online and in person lectures.

Decided to add a double-major in polisci because of this class.

He's really passionate about his lectures. Even on topics you think might be boring. Made me feel like I was the only one in the room and that's in a huge lecture hall. I didn't like the first paper, but the second one was good. I liked the gorrila film and the Behind the Beatiful Forever book. OVerall really good experience.

This class made me realize that I'm not in school to get a job. I'm in school to change the world.

This class had way too much work for a 100 level course. Between the quizzes, the papers, the attendance taking in sections, and the ridiculous final exam, I was putting in way more time than I did into some of my upper level courses. I definitely learned a ton, but I wasn't prepared for how much work was required. So, mixed thoughts.

For a general education 100 level course I agree that the class was more work than expected, but I learned a ton and Professor Pachirat was incredible. His lectures were super interesting, quizzes were easy, and the final exam is predicatable. Would absolutely recommend.

If everyone taught the way Professor Pachirat does, UMass would be an incredible place. The workload, while heavy, was never gratuitous. This class is one of the best I've ever taken, if not the best. I would recommend it to anyone, freshman to senior.

Timothy is a very charismatic lecturer. I never had to check the clock and wished that class would be over. However, this class requires a lot of work. Average of 66 pages per week with weekly online quizzes, two papers, and one final exam. Don't be scared by the work though. DO TAKE IT because it is an eye-opening course and 100% worth it.

Honestly, my favorite teacher of all time. Lessons all ways had deep meaning and tried to step outside the box. Great Great Great professor

PoliSci 111 was life changing. I truly mean that. And I believe it is all because of Pachirat. He is hands down the most fascinating not only prof, but person I have ever come across. You definitely get what you put into this class, but even if you don't try hard, you'll prob still get a good grade. Amazing class. Took so much from it.

Timothy is the most fascinating person I have ever come a crossed. His course will completely change the way you think about and view the world, even if you're not interested in the subject matter. Your grade is determined entirely by your TA, but still attend lectures. Make the effort to talk with Timothy outside of class, you won't regret it.

Easily the best professor I've ever had at my time at umass. I just took the class for a gen ed and glad i did. He is an extremely interesting guy who you can tell is very passionate about his class. His lecture are super interesting and really finds a way to help you connect with the material. Highly recommend the class.

Well, what can I say. Timothy is the best lecturer I've had in college for sure. He's passionate about his material and keeps you intrigued. That being said, he only lectured like 7 times all semester for 50 mins each. The online lectures weren't nearly as entertaining and powerful as him in class. Also a lot of work for the final exam.

An incredible course. Informative, inspiring, and makes you think about politics and power in completely new ways. The course is half online lectures and half in person lectures, so be sure you are ok with that going in. I personally found the online lectures helpful because I could return to them for clarification. And the in person lectures rock.

An amazing professor. Pachirat's way of teaching is entertaining and eye-opening. He clearly cares a lot about what he is teaching and very helpful to students. I found the online lectures useful, but the in-person lecture was my favorite class of the week.

I am not a political science major but this class was super accessible and interesting. Timothy is an excellent professor and you can tell he really cares about not only his teachings but also his students. The lectures were engaging but do expect to take notes because quizzes depend on good note taking. Show up and listen and you'll succeed

Timothy is an amazing lecturer, and his online/in-person class blend is very easy to manage. Weekly quizzes aren't too bad, and the essays and final are easy. Do your work and this class is pretty easy.

Professor Pachirat's deep knowledge and inquiry about the systems of power within our world have changed my perspective on our society entirely. His PolSci class changed my life. His lectures are informative, interesting, engaging and stimulating. The work load is difficult but you will gain so much from what is expected of you. Incredible prof.

This class is one of the best I have ever taken. I tend to dislike large lecture classes, but the professor and TAs made this a truly deep learning experience. I will take the lessons learned in this class well beyond college. As professor Pachirat said in his last lecture, ¨The power to pose the question is the greatest power of all.¨

Pachirat makes lectures interesting. Some of his views are extreme and sometimes taught like they're the best perspective, but it's a good class. More work than the average gen-ed: readings are important for weekly quizzes and the essays take effort. Didn't learn much about specific foreign gov't systems, you learn more about the state in general.

Took this class spring semester of my freshman year and I totally recommend it. Once a week lecture and an online lecture followed by a quiz. Him and his TA's aren't difficult graders so if you attend lecture and sections, you'll succeed. Pachirat's lectures are refreshing and suggests a new way of looking at history and political science.

Took this course several years ago and the lessons from it still stick with me today. Take it, you won't regret it. Pachirat is amazing.

Professor Pachirat was super interesting, humourous, and determined to help students succeed. He was very easy to talk to, but you could see that he's very brilliant and thoughtful. Monday lectures were all online and pre-recorded from a few years ago, which gave the impression that he's lazy, but his in-person lectures more than make up for it.

One of the best professors I've had. He gives amazing lectures and even though they're only in person once a week but I would go every day. Only two papers for the semester and they're both graded fairly with great feedback. Attend lectures, take notes, get to know your TA, and find something you're passionate about in the class and you'll do great

i was confused at first because i thought we would spend more time on other government systems, but then i realized pachirat is trying to think of politics and power much, much more broadly. it's a class that changed the way i see nearly everything around me. still can't shake it.

Still thinking about this class on my WINTER BREAK. Super excited to be working with this prof as a research assistant next semester following up on some ideas about how power and domination operate to conceal violence. A great class that everyone should take.

Great Professor, interesting and amazing lectures, easy grading. He assigns a lot of supplementary reading but a lot of it is useless, I barely read any of the supplementary material, but I managed to get a 100 on the Final and an A overall. Students, the TA's are ridiculously easy graders. Please do take this class for an easy A!

Respected professor. Interesting lectures. A whoole lot of reading for this class. You don't *have* to do most of it, but you kind of have to do it to pass well. Timothy is really nice and you can tell he's passionate. I'm not sure how much he cares about students on an individual level but eh, it's a big gened. He will do a great job teaching you.

TPach is as good as it gets. I hate not being able to attend lectures in person tho. An amazing class, even with COVID.

Pachirat was easily the best professor Ive had. His lectures were interesting and you always left his class informed and inspired. It is one online lecture per week, followed by an in class lecture the next, then a discussion. Theres a good amount of reading to do for this class & 2 short essays but its fair. Upset covid cut his lectures short.

Pachirat is a brilliant Professor! His lectures are so insightful and thought-provoking; he offers an unorthodox perspective on topics that are often taught differently in comparative politics. If Umass let me take it again, I would take it every semester--I can't recommend this class enough!

My favorite professor, ever. Brings an energy to lectures, even online lectures, that makes even dry topics come alive. I learned lessons in this class that will stick with me for the rest of my life. Take it!

This class succeeded and moving to remote learning from Covid mainly because it already included an online component. I learned the most in this class out of all my courses this semester. Professor Pachirat changed my thinking about how power works in the world and how to understand it.

Took this class my freshman year and it so far has been the best class I've taken at UMass. Prof. Pachirat is amazing with his in person lectures, and there isn't a textbook, but there are two 750 word papers that require readings and your final is an essay. TA's are very helpful and nice too. Overall great course.

I had him a year ago, so I can't speak for the recent online classes. Really motivates the classroom by asking questions to the classes and encouraging participation. Definitely the most funny professor I've had. Fav memory was definitely the class discussions were we would get into different sides of the class to express our opinions on a q.

Great professor but might be better suited to teach an 300+ level polisci class. 2 papers, about 8 reading quizzes, and one final exam. definitely go to discussion and pay attention in lectures and you'll be okay. his class forces you to think outside the box so be ready to listen with an open mind. would take again if it were an upper level course

Unfortunately, I had Prof Timothy when he only did online lectures so they could sometimes drag. But he is very passionate and tackles very interesting subjects, with the beginning of the semester being my favorite part of the class. Put good effort into your papers and pay attention for the quizzes and you'll do well in class.

Amazing class. Lots of grumbling here about workload, but I found it to be manegeable for a non polisci major. Like most things, you get out what you put in, and Pachirat is an amazing prof.

I learned so much in this course even though I'm a science major and took it as a gen ed. Professor is a great lecturer. One of my best classes in three years at UMass.

On the more difficult side for a gen-ed if you don't fully grasp the abstract concepts he teaches you about. Very different from what I expected but I still learned a lot. Lots of reading. Wish he was able to be in person this semester. TA's are helpful and I benefited from the discussions.

An amazing class. I learned a lot. Readings were not as important as lectures and attending section. Prof. is an incredible lecturer who always keeps things interesting.

My favorite class this semester. Prof was amazing. My TA was awesome as well.

Was hesitant to take this class as a non polisci major. Ended up being the class I learned the most from this semester. Not your usual politics class--makes you think outside the box.

Had to read an entire book in the middle of the semester, which was tough. But the book ended up being the best thing I've read all year (Behind Beautiful Forevers). Class focuses much more on power broadly than specific governments. But we did cover some of that as well.

I worked much harder in this course than I did for any of my other gened courses. But in the end I have to say it was worth it. I learned a ton, and I have new ways of thinking about the world. Great course but be prepared to work hard.

Attend the lectures and sections and take the quizzes and papers seriously. Don't worry about the readings, except for the book you need to read to write the second essay. Follow this advice and you'll do great.

I'm a senior at UMass and this is the best class I've taken. Prof. is brilliant and course is well structured with clear expectations. Prof sends out multiple reminders about deadlines. Pay attention to the syllabus deadlines and attend class and you'll do great.

I'm a sciences major and didn't know what to expect coming into a polisci class. It ended up being the most eye-opening of the semester. Thinking about picking up a minor in polisci bc of this class.

You aren't going to do well in this class if you don't follow the deadlines. Six quizzes, two short essays, an open book final exam. Prof keeps things interesting and is a good lecturer. Great class.

Not nearly as hard as many comments here suggest. I consider it an easy A as long as you follow all deadlines. Weekly short quizzes, two short essays, and an open book final essay that Prof gives you questions for in advance. Great class, and I learned a lot.

Great class, great prof. If you want a gen ed with zero work. that is not this class. But if you put in the work and follow the deadlines, you will learn a ton and get a lot out of it. At least I did.

Grading includes 2 papers of 1500-2000 words, disc. participation, and final essay of 500-700 words (with EC opp). He is a great professor and the class is really amazing; however the first writing assignment even the TAs agreed was pretty hard. If you want a class and prof you will like and enjoy, this is itbut be prepared to put the work in

Prof Pachirat keeps lectures entertaining, pops lots of jokes, and you can just tell he is just so passionate. After the first lecture, I knew that this class was going to be so interesting. His papers are a bit tricky if you are not caught up on readings and overall understanding of the material but go to TA hours and they will help you so much.

This is literally the best professor I have ever had. If you love thinking about power and violence as a whole he is amazing. This class really made me think and I love it. I could genuinely listen to this man speak for days on end, he is so good at his job. The essays are kind of difficult but there is only 2 so it is not bad. He is amazing.

Having just finished the final for this course, I can honestly say it is the single best class I've taken at Umass in three years. The professor is amazing and the course structure allows for broad overviews and deep dives into specific countries like India, China, and Germany. Take it!

One of the best professors I have had at Umass and probably will have. Great lectures and interesting material. Lots of reading but he gives plenty of time and the class work is heavy in reading and less heavy on papers or exams. Would definitely take again!

Loved this class. Learned a lot about how power works and how the state functions. Prof lectures are incredible and my TA was amazing as well. Highly recommend.

As other comments say, DO NOT take this class if your idea of a good GenEd is zero work and no learning. But if you actually want to learn something and are prepared to do work, this class is amazing. At the end of the semester, my understanding of power and politics was transformed. Amazing professor, great class.

Great class, great professor, great TA! Learned so much from this course and would gladly take it again. Pachirat teaches with energy, enthusiasm, and humor too.

One of the best classes I've taken. Learned lessons about power in the modern world that I continue to think about to this day. Great lecturer and the workload and course schedule is clearly laid out.

I added a polisci minor to my hard sciences major because of this course. A great course taught by a great professor. If anything, it could be pitched at an even more advanced level since I found it very approachable even though I have no background.

Teaches with a lot of humor and uses stories and examples to get points across. I especially loved the unplanned lecture on Russia and Ukraine a few days after the war started. Final exam was open notes, open book, with essay questions distributed ahead of time.

Timothy is the GOAT. He's a really funny guy and makes classes and engaging and enjoyable. The course material is kind of difficult, but he makes it easier to learn and the class isn't that hard.

One of the best professors I've had. You need to take this class, his lectures are amazing and make college feel like it's worth it. The essays are a little hard but teach you a lot. I wish there was a part II to this class tbh.

A great lecturer that keeps the classes engaging and actively tries to communicate with the audience. You can tell he is genuinely passionate about what he teaches. There is a substantial amount of work with weekly quizzes, its nothing horrible. Essays prompts can be extremely difficult, but grading isn't that harsh. Overall, great class.

Great lectures and TA discussions. There were a lot of readings but they were very accessible and interesting. Outside of there being a lot of readings and thus a heavy workload, the class was not particularly difficult. Essays are graded charitably and the quizzes are easy. Pachirat and my TA were clearly interested in teaching not grading.

Makes very clear, fun, and inspirational lectures. I had to put a normal amount of effort and as a freshmen who had no idea what I was doing...I somehow got by every week because the lectures and sections kept me on track. Attendance is mandatory but it is very manageable to catch up and stay on track when you miss a few lectures.

A Very respectful and Informative Professor. Timothy uses easy to follow metaphors which I personally still remember from the class, which made papers and quizzes easier to complete. Very well informed in his field, and cares about what he does. Don't use your phone in class, and make sure your computer screen is not on anything but notes.

Amazing lectures. Professor Pachirat is engaging, funny and very intelligent. Everything you need to know will be on both the online and in person lectures. TAs are great and are engaging in the discussion sections. Not the easiest class for a gen ed, but truly insightful and eye opening. Highly recommend.

Such a good class with such a good professor. The essays are kind of difficult but manageable if you attend all the lectures and discussions. My TA made this class way easier to understand. Overall Pachirat is the best!

Gifted, confident lecturing by a professor of color is seen by some of my fellow students as arrogance. Too bad for them! I personally find Pachirat's exuberant presence refreshing. My one suggestion is that although we did cover Russia, China, and India at length, more focus on sub-Saharan Africa would be greatly beneficial to the class.

Covered US, UK, France, Germany, China, India, and Russia--but also areas where there was no state power. Several extra credit chances, including a screening and discussion of Navalny. Worked harder than in my other intro courses, but I learned a lot. Course is extremely well organized and one of the best I've taken at UMASS.

Pachirat is a great lecturer and an engaging speaker. The lectures are frequently entertaining, and the course itself is extremely well organized. There is a lot of reading, but you can get away with just skimming most of it. Not to many assignments, only weekly quizzes and two larger esays. Definitely one of my favorite courses I've taken so far!

Inspiring speaker, immensely enjoyed his lectures. He has an ego, but the class was easy enough, and he knows the content well. Class grading is easy, and the TA's don't grade harshly. The essay prompts can be challenging, but with proper help, essays should be an easy A. Class was straightforward and enjoyable. I would absolutely recommend it.

Best course I've taken in 2.5 years at UMass. Extremely organized with clear expectations, lively lectures, and I had a great TA for my small weekly section discussions. Course covered politics of different countries but also encouraged outside the box thinking about power more broadly. The week on Zomia was my favorite.

great, interactive professor. lectures weren't boring and examples that pertained to modern day were made. very funny guy, made it easy to stay attentive to class. hybrid class structure helped to switch up sitting in a lecture hall. weekly lecture quizzes helped grade boost

ONLY prof I had this semester who talked about the mass arrests of UMass students. He even made the arrests into a final exam question. Sad that every other class I had this semester pretended like it didn't happen that UMass arrested over 50 of its own students in the middle of the semester for a peaceful protest. Great class, great prof.

He's a great lecturer and it's always enjoyable to go to his classes. Make sure you go to lectures because you miss out on not just a great lecture but on important content. Read the books assigned too.

He is such a good professor and he is so passionate and funny. The class has weekly online quizzes, no exams besides the final which is online, and 2 essays. The essays are a little difficult but the lectures are actually really interesting and his teaching style is very engaging.

Proffesor Pachirat, is a very good lecturer that is always putting the most in to his teaching. His slides are great and the TA's in the course were incredibly helpful. He was never shy to address issues around the world and on campus which I really appreciated. Great proffesor!

I will start with the positives, he is passionate and funny in class. The work was not so hard or complex. However I will say he expectation of having this intro class being treated like an advanced one was rather bothersome. . One thing to note he does assign lot of reading then a weekly quiz. Final was an essay from home.

One of the most impactful professors I have ever had

Extremely compelling lectures. As someone who enjoys politics, this was extremely engaging. TA's will do a lot of instruction in discussions, and they do a good job as well.

He was a funny professor and had amazing lectures that I actually enjoyed attending! Some lectures were in person and some were asynchronous which was nice to switch things up. Slides are very clear and if you pay attention you will do well on his weekly quizzes. His work is minimal but make sure to put full effort into everything!

I absolutely LOVED Professor Pachirat and his class. It was by far one of the best classes I have ever taken here at UMass. He is HILIARIOUS, knowledgeable, and extremely passionate about what he teaches. I would PAY to join another one of his classes. 100/10, love him. Amazing class, would take it all over again if I could for fun!

Professor was super passionate and engaging in his lectures. TA's were great, essays were a little hard but really made you engage with ideas, and the class was very structured. On the first day we broke down our base perceptions of the political world, which was cool. I learned such an understanding of poli-sci for just an intro course. 10/10.

One of the best Profs at Umass

really wish he taught more classes, I would love to have him as a professor again. there was a lot of reading and textbooks but I never did it and I've been fine so far (fingers crossed I didn't jinx myself). also made me realize I want to minor in polisci.

I absolutely adore Professor Pachirat. He made comparative politics such an interesting and engaging topic. I think it is really easy to be successful in this class but if you don't put in the extra effort there's no way to get an A unfortunately.

By far one of the best professors I have ever had. He's funny, cares about his students, and his lectures really make you think. Even if you have a lot of prior knowledge about politics, you will likely learn something from this class. Highly, highly recommend.

Very intelligent prof that cares about students, 2 short essays, for the final exam the a handful of prompts were given beforehand and there would be one chosen at random to write for the final exam. go to the discussion section as attendance is mandatory

Engaging professor who keeps the class interesting. Lots of reading but quizzes and essays are manageable. Definitely attend lectures - they provide valuable content. Unstuck ai was a lifesaver for exam prep.

Professor Pachirat gives very memorable lectures that are taught in a clear and concise way. He does give weekly quizzes that are a large part of your grade, so make sure to keep up with the readings and online lectures. The reading is easy but heavy, but overall it is a great course that I recommend if you're a polisci major or need the credit.

Very Easy Class, attendance not mandatory at all however his lectures are wonderful and you should try and attend them 1x a week. Class is mainly graded on 2 short essays and a final which is also an essay. All essays were graded by TA who graded them lightly. Discussions are mandatory attendance and count as entire participation grade.

2 books required but you don't actually need to read them thoroughly. skimming is fine if you attend lectures. lectures were interesting and engaging. no exams, only 3 essays including the final. final essay offered extra credit and second essay you assigned yourself a grade. as long as you put in any effort at all, you will get an A.

I don't usually leave reviews but he is genuinely one of the best professors I have ever had. His lectures were entertaining and useful and engaging I loved going every week. Lectures once a week were online videos which I didn't mind as much as I thought I would since they were also very engaging. I actually learned a lot in this class 10/10.

This is the professor that will change your college career. Take his course.

This class was incredible. It really opened my mind and I feel like I can look at politics through a much less opinion based lens now. The professor does a great job of making the material interesting and fun. . There is quite a bit of reading so be ready for that. Overall the quizzes are not difficult and they essays are not harshly graded.

I really enjoyed this professor; he made me genuinely want to go to class and made me passionate about the subjects we were learning. Although he is very strict about deadlines, he is accommodating when necessary and provides a lot of information about how to succeed. I hope to take his other politics course in the future.

As a poly sci student, I found him to be a great teacher. He was clearly passionate and his lectures always kept me focused and were not boring unlike other lectures I had. However, he can be too much at times and kinda sends a revolutionary tone sometimes? Other than that, the class was really easy and fun again as a poli sci kid.

Best professor I've had. Lectures were engaging and changed your outlook on the world. No exams, only 2 short essays and a final essay that you have so much extra credit on. Even though it was less stressful than my other classes, I still feel like I learned so much. Rewarding course.

He was a nice, cool guy. Was a very good speaker and keeps you entertained every class. TA's go pretty easy grading wise.