Skocpol covered the decline of the Civil War Pension system during the late 19th century, and the rise of pensions for mothers and widows in the 1910-20s. It's a fascinating look at a very different political climate, with patronage rather than programmaticly oriented political parties, and a very weak and amateur Federal government. This book has a strong theoretical explanation of how women excluded from the vote managed to exercise political power through moral education and a unique conception of the public role of Motherhood. This book is also mind-numbingly dense and detail oriented, and covers policies which left no standing institutional legacy, so while a classic in feminist history, not something I can really recommend to the layperson.