Smith is a very bland lecturer, so beware, but you can easily recognize his passion and strong intellect for the subject. As with most politics classes, the interesting stuff comes last, so 2/3rds of the class is theory based, should definitely be a PLPT instead. The material is interesting overall, as we really hash out ethical choices in International Relations. The grade is based off of two 7-8 page papers (one research and the other creative writing), and a significantly difficult final that is based off of the dense readings. Most of the readings in the second half of the course are interesting, but I would only recommend this class if you are VERY interested in philosophy, ethics, moral choice, etc. There are plenty of other cool PLIR classes out there! Smith is brilliant, overall, though and it was an honor to take a class with him! He's written many publications and has met with very famous IR theorists. His political views are strongly idealist and doesn't have any shame displaying that in class, so if that bothers you here is your warning! A decent class overall, but could be made more interesting.

I didn't learn a single thing in this class. I never bought any of the books because you really don't need to. ALL theory based and nothing applicable. Avoid if you don't want to die of boredom, waste a 3 credit slot on this class, or simply get a good education worth all the money you're spending. I guess if you like Trump bashing you might like this class.

Smith is awesome and such a character. He is quite blunt which is preferred in politics courses (I like to know the stance my professor takes and it's a positive he comes right out and says it). Although I disagree with him on many topics, he is very accepting of other people's perspectives, will definitely hear you out if you critique or question his own views/what he is teaching, and he is a great lecturer. The material is quite dry in the beginning because it focuses a lot on philosophical and theoretical material but it soon focuses on contemporary issues which is really interesting. He is quite welcoming in office hours and never makes you feel like you can't be honest. Very helpful, great listener, good lecturer (given the material he has to teach).

One thing that is a bit frustrating is that he puts up these outlines on the screen during lecture and you spend so much time trying to write it down and then doesn't follow them... at all. So don't bother with them, just take notes in a basic order and you will be fine. Do the readings, they will definitely help, but there is a lot so don't freak out if you fall behind because I guarantee you that everyone will. Also find a few friends to study with for the final exam because it will help you tremendously considering the course is very heavy and you won't be able to review everything in a week or less. Overall, a very good class and I really enjoyed it.

Never did the reading- but got an A in the class. The lectures would become boring- but the discussions were fun and exciting (because the TAs would break it down for us). Interesting topic matter/ideas, but not always executed the best during lectures (I rarely paid attention)... #tcf2016

Unless you happen to be perfectly in line with Smith's very strong liberal political views, you will likely find this class excruciatingly painful to sit through. He is often condescending to other points of view, and while everyone naturally has political biases, I expect attempted neutrality from a professor of his caliber and education level. The course is also heavily theory-based, even through the last weeks of the semester, which was disappointing to me as I was looking forward to applying the theories to case studies. Unless you are interested in political theory more than international relations, I would avoid the class. Callum was a great TA, though!

If you have a passionate distaste for political theory I would avoid this class at all cost. The first 2/3 of the class is extremely theory-based. The last third or so is more interesting and easier to follow - examples and topics applicable to current events. There is a TON of reading that doesn't seem that important until you're a week away from the final and you realize it is completely based on the reading . . . best advice is to have your TA orchestrate a massive google doc that outlines all the readings (#godblesscallum). The grades for the class are 1 essay based on theoretical readings, 1 creative book/movie report/moral analysis, and the final (ID section and 3 essays). Wouldn't recommend the class but if you have to take it it won't be too bad.

Smith is a nice guy and a gifted lecturer, but the class is often very theory focused instead of being an analysis on human rights violations throughout history. 2 8-page essays, one final (which is decently tough), and a participation grade (earned via attending discussion). Readings are very long/intense at times, but you don't need to do all of it to do well if you take good notes during class. Overall, I would say this course is one of the harder ones in the Politics department at UVa. If you're interested in a PLPT/PLIR hybrid course, definitely take this with Smith.

What can I say -- it was a difficult class but rewarding. Smith is obviously very knowledgeable and passionate about what he teaches, lecture was engaging and not just a summary of the readings. It is definitely from a liberal point of view, and while Smith might at times seem patronizing he always made the superior argument.

Smith is a genius. And as interesting as his lectures may be, the course material is not all that great; it is a PT class disguised as IR. In terms of work, there is a midterm paper, a critical book review, and a final exam, all of which can be done at home. TA: I had Chelsea German and she was the best. Would recommend her for any class.

Professor Smith is an incredibly smart man. However, I found that the course assigned too much reading that was not useful to the class (like hours upon hours of reading that I never used), that was incredibly difficult to understand.

Smith isn't the most exciting lecturer, and he uses a lot of big words that he knows his students won't understand, because he thinks it's funny, and he isn't incredibly open to the ideas of his students, even when he invites them to share their opinions during lecture (In this way, I think he can be a condescending jerk).

All that being said, though, the class was interesting. I think that the information is quite useful in understanding a lot of IR decision-making. I wouldn't recommend the class per say, but I wouldn't not recommend it either.