Flipping classrooms is a popular teaching method in universities to increase active learning and retention as the popularity of traditional lectures decline. Although many studies discuss the process for flipping courses and the student reaction to such courses, much fewer studies examine the effect on student performance. This study conducts a within-case and between-case analysis of student perceptions and performance in an international relations theory course treating students in one course with a flipped classroom style versus the same course taught using traditional lecture style. A survey measures the student perceptions and reactions to the flipped class style compared to the traditional classroom, and a statistical analysis examines the effects of different teaching methods on student exam performance. The results show that students have high favorability ratings for the technique of flipped classrooms, while the statistical analysis shows no positive correlation to student performance indicators.