Susan Jane Tolchin (January 14, 1941 – May 18, 2016) was an American political scientist.

Susan Jane Goldsmith was born in Manhattan to Jacob Goldsmith, a lawyer, and his wife Dorothy (née Markowitz), a teacher.

She taught at Mount Vernon College, at The George Washington University during the early 1990s, and George Mason University.

[1] She married journalist Martin Tolchin, a founder of Politico, in 1965, coauthored many books on American politics and remained married until her death.

[2] She died of ovarian cancer at her home in Washington on May 18, 2016, at the age of 75.