John J. Pitney - Claremont McKenna College

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John J. Pitney - Claremont McKenna College

Professor: John J. Pitney

Department: Government

College: Claremont McKenna College

Rating # 1

Overview:

Course: GOV124
Grade Received: Not sure yet
Overall Rating: 4.0
Course Difficulty: 5.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: No
Would Take Again: Yes
Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Very knowledgeable, animated, and intimidating (scary, especially during online office hours.) Lots of reading and writing. He is especially straightforward with his feedback- he tells you exactly what you did wrong and what you need to improve upon (can be a breath of fresh air or harsh.) Overall, great professor.

Rating # 2

Overview:

Course: GOV020H
Grade Received: A-
Overall Rating: 5.0
Course Difficulty: 3.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: Yes
Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Prof Pitney is the best!! During the online semester he was considerate of our time while still ensuring we understood the content. His essays can be intimidating but as long as you revise, you're good! He'll support you every step of the way and his lectures were entertaining, even over zoom. Take his class!

Rating # 3

Overview:

Course: GOV020H
Grade Received: A
Overall Rating: 5.0
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: Yes
Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

If you are passionate about government and politics, definitely take this class. I had a fantastic experience and learned so much about the inner workings of U.S. politics and felt that I left the course with an extremely nuanced perspective. Your writing, opinions, and confidence will grow through this course - it's worth the challenge!

Rating # 4

Overview:

Course: GOV020H
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 5.0
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: No
Would Take Again: Yes
Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Pitney's online class was the highlight of my week. He is funny but highly educative. He has a vast knowledge of Gov and would recommend anyone to take any of his classes. The only thing you gotta know is you have to write like Strunk & White, he is very upfront about that.

Rating # 5

Overview:

Course: GOV020H
Grade Received: A
Overall Rating: 5.0
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: Yes
Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Professor Pitney is amazing. If you have any interest in politics, you must take a class with him. His lectures are engaging, and he leaves ample time for student questions. His essay topics are clear and sometimes personalized, which shows how much he cares about his students. I learned so much in his GOV020H course. Work hard and you'll do well.

Rating # 6

Overview:

Course: GOV101
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 5.0
Course Difficulty: 3.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: Yes
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

love him

Rating # 7

Overview:

Course: GOV020H
Grade Received: B+
Overall Rating: 5.0
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: Yes
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

fav professor

Rating # 8

Overview:

Course: GOV101
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 5.0
Course Difficulty: 3.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: Yes
Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

I took Professor Pitney's class as a freshmen over 20 years ago. I had no interest at all in government at the time and have since become a doctor. However, he taught me so many things in that one class that I remember to this day. Looking back at my college experience, he was the most inspiring professor I met! Thank you for the memories.

Rating # 9

Overview:

Course: GOV123
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 4.5
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Professor Pitney is awesome in class- beyond intelligent, humorous, and genuinely wants participation. No tests, only papers. Very specific in what style of writing he wants.

Rating # 10

Overview:

Course: GOV020H
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 5.0
Course Difficulty: 3.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: Yes
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Best sense of humor I've ever seen in a professor. Personalized essay prompts actually make writing essays fun!

Rating # 11

Overview:

Course: GOV020H
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 5.0
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Professor Pitney is easily one of the most qualified people on the planet to teach. His humor, knowledge, and challenging questions made class lively. I always learned something new in class, and looked forward to it every day. Beware the cold calls. This class is challenging, but definitely worth it. I would take him again in a heartbeat.

Rating # 12

Overview:

Course: GOVT020HCM01
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 4.5
Course Difficulty: 3.0

For Credit: Yes
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: Yes
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Pitney is amazing. He will connect with you on a personal level, and genuinely cares about his students. Incredibly knowledgeable and can answer almost any question about politics you throw at him. Does great presidential impressions. Amazingly helpful and thorough grader. His class will be the highlight of your day.

Rating # 13

Overview:

Course: GOV101
Grade Received: B+
Overall Rating: 4.5
Course Difficulty: 2.0

For Credit: N/A
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Gov101, 115, and thesis: You either love Pitney and share his passions, or you're blah about it. If you're the latter you're probably better off taking another class, but he is a great educator and such an excellent resource outside of the classroom too. Really learned how to write thanks to him! Sometimes he babies us a bit, but all in all LOVE.

Rating # 14

Overview:

Course: GOV20H
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 5.0
Course Difficulty: 3.0

For Credit: N/A
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

One of the most helpful teachers I have had, always willing to help and give guidance. Keeps course relevant to modern society and challenges students to improve their analytical and argumentative skills.

Rating # 15

Overview:

Course: GOV20
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 5.0
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: N/A
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

As far as Government professors goes, I would venture to say Pitney could very well be the best in the nation. It is a fact that he is "the most quoted political science professor in the nation." If you ever listen to NPR news, he will most likely be quoted in it. Beyond that his teaching is amazing; he spends an absurd amount of time on students

Rating # 16

Overview:

Course: GOV20H
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 5.0
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: N/A
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Professor Pitney is a great guy. The class was the most intimidating I've had at the beginning, especially first semester freshman year. Competitive/Arrogant students can get annoying, but Pitney is annoyed with them to. Not as hard of a grader as advertised, and the feedback you get makes it so worth it.

Rating # 17

Overview:

Course: GOVH20
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 5.0
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: N/A
Textbook Used: No
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

This guy is absolutely amazing. I've never been so excited about going to class before. This class gave me a much better understanding of how America works. Although he grades the papers hard, he gives you an incredible amount of feedback on each one, really giving you the opportunity to improve your writing. TAKE THIS PROF BEFORE YOU GRADUATE!!!!

Rating # 18

Overview:

Course: GOVT115
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 5.0
Course Difficulty: 3.0

For Credit: N/A
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Great prof! Extremely engaging lecturer, one of the best. Picky on writing, you really have to do exactly what he wants, but you'll learn a lot from doing it. Don't graduate from CMC without taking one of his classes!

Rating # 19

Overview:

Course: GOV20H
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 3.5
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: N/A
Textbook Used: Yes
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

He is extremely knowledgable and I learned TONS from the class. Biggest bonos: for such an intelligent, successful person, he doesn't have a huge ego. As a liberal I never felt he counted your political beliefs against you. Hard, but not impossible and well worth the effort. I will def. take him again (hopefully more than once) before I graduate.

Rating # 20

Overview:

Course: GOV20H
Grade Received: N/A
Overall Rating: 4.5
Course Difficulty: 4.0

For Credit: N/A
Textbook Used: No
Would Take Again: N/A
Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Class was a bit intimidating at first since he calls on you randomly, but you get accustomed to it after a while. He knows a lot about Congress and US Politics, and I found the class interesting and informative. I liked how he incorporated online videos in his lectures. However, he didn't talk about the readings as much as I would have like him

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