PLCP 3330

I took this class in fall 2024 with Ingrid Neves Magalhaes as the TA. As someone with little experience/interest in Latin American politics, I was hesitant about the class at first, but I enjoyed it and learned a lot! The class explores the entire region but mostly focuses on Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil. It goes through the colonial/indigenous histories of these countries and their political systems and ends with present day politics. The discussion section was extremely helpful and not one worth skipping. Ingrid was an amazing TA and Professor Carter's lectures were always engaging. He always made himself available for questions or just to talk. There was a fair bit of reading (normal for a 3000-level politics class), but all you really need to know are the main concepts and the results of the studies. There is a map quiz at the beginning of the semester, two exams, and a final. The final was technically cumulative, but you can choose which prompts/ID questions to answer, so I didn't study any of the early material. There were also weekly discussion posts, which I think you needed 8 of. I got an A- in the class. Would recommend even if Latin America isn't your area of interest!

This class is great! Overall not difficult if you keep up with readings (know 1 or 2 main ideas per article) and go to the lectures. I went to every class and spent about 15 mins skimming the readings before discussions on fridays and finished with an A. Professor Carter spends a lot of time reiterating things that are going to be important on the exam, so nothing comes as a surprise the day of. The discussion was also worth attending, especially because there is a small participation grade based on attendance. Overall, I found this class engaging, informative, and not very stressful.