Theda Skocpol (née Barron; May 4, 1947) is an American sociologist and political scientist, who is currently the Victor S. Thomas Professor of Government and Sociology at Harvard University.

As an example, she argues that social revolutions can best be explained given their relation with specific structures of agricultural societies and their respective states.

[8] Her PhD committee at Harvard were George Homans, Daniel Bell, and Seymour Martin Lipset.

She includes the structure involved in creating a revolutionary situation that can lead to a social revolution - one that changes civic institutions and government once the administration and military branches collapse.

According to Skocpol, there are two stages to social revolutions: a crisis of state and the emergence of a dominant class to take advantage of a revolutionary situation.

The crisis of state emerges from poor economy, natural disaster, food shortage, or security concerns.

Critics suggest that Skocpol ignores the role of individuals and ideology[15] and uses varied comparative methodological strategies.

Skocpol considers the idea that parties are more important in America than the government, and that class dominance plays heavily into American politics.

[17] In the book, Skocpol considers increased benefits for Civil War veterans and their families resulting from competitive party politics, as well as greater actions taken in women's movements.

Soldiers and mothers benefited from social spending, labor regulations, and health education through reformative women's clubs across the nation.

Her revised view is that social movements, coalitions of pressure groups, and political parties must be given their due in understanding power in America."

Skocpol explains how clubs and associations fill the vacuum left by fewer bureaucracies and an official church throughout the country, offering a case study in how women succeeded in gaining labor rights, mothers' pensions, minimum wage, and subsidized natal health clinics.

Further, Skocpol points out that women were able to overcome class disparity to achieve these goals, working at a national level, influencing representatives with books, TV, magazines, and meetings.

In 2009, Skocpol conceived of and co-founded the Scholars Strategy Network, an association of academics and researchers who coordinate to address public challenges while increasing the accessibility of their findings to those outside of academia.