PLAP 3400

Loved this course and Prof. Pivonka! Super straightforward class-- you do some reading and come prepared to discuss. He's not a hard grader, and his exams are not tricky if you pay attention and take notes on the general ideas each class. Pivonka lectures a bit to explain things and then starts asking questions. He's great at playing devil's advocate and trying to make sure everyone fully understands both the opinions in the readings as well as the criticisms of those readings. He's really funny and great at getting people to share so it's a fun class to go to three times a week.

This is a really great class! There are multiple readings each week, but they're generally not too bad. Prof Pivonka is great and really engages with people in the class. The midterm, final, and essays aren't bad as long as you put some effort into them. Not a stressful class at all!

Absolutely LOVED this class!!!! I recommend it to all of my friends, Pivonka is such a bro and he makes the (kinda) dense material really easy to understand. I used to hate old philosophers and theorists before this class but honestly Pivonka made it easy to understand. I took it Fall '20 and still look back to my notes (in Spring '22) whenever I'm in a class that refers to old philosophers because I've never had a professor explain it as well as Pivonka!!! TAKE THIS IF YOU LOVE YOURSELF!!!

This is an amazing class! Professor Pivonka is in fact worth all the hype. He’s such a kind, understanding, and sympathetic person and an equally great lecturer/instructor. There is some reading (but you have the class three times a week, so you get about 20 ish pages per class) and some of them are kinda dense. But he’s really really good at breaking it down. I will say, even though it’s an American Politics class, there is a lot of theory in it. You start by reading Aristotle, Locke, Smith and Marx. Then you read Jefferson, Hamilton, Tocqueville, ie when you start looking more at the US, you read stuff from the gilded age, and then FDR, then Rawls (that’s a tough one) and you finish with modern interpretations and views about inequality.

But ultimately, it’s very insightful and really makes you think about the way we live and we transact with others and relates it to the institutions that we are under. Honestly, you should absolutely do the readings, but you should be fine if you don’t. But Pivonka knows who is and isn’t doing the readings, and he loves everyone but if you really want to get close to one of the best professors at UVA, do the readings and just give a comment during lectures (or seminars whatever they’re called because this is a seminar style class haha) it doesn’t need to be insightful just be engaged, you’ll get a lot out of it :))

This is an amazing class that’s taught by an amazing professor!! Even though it’s an American Politics class, it’s definitely more on the theory side. You discuss authors ranging from Aristotle, Locke, Smith, Marx, to Tocqueville, FDR, and Rawls. It’s a really good sample I think of political theory with a particular focus on how people and their transactional relationships are shaped by institutions.

Professor Pivonka is an extremely kind and understanding professor, too. He gives no questions asked extensions, and really just wants you to learn first. He’s really good at breaking down the readings, too. Btw there is some reading but not an unmanageable amount, I’d say no more than 20 pages per class (there are three classes a week tho). Although you don’t need to do all the readings to do well but I would suggest you do them, it’s really nice to be able to participate and engage. Overall, a pretty easy A where you learn SO much with one of the best professors here at UVA.

#tCFF23