Scholarly consensus can fix on the weaker of two causal factors

Evidence

However, our survey suggests at least one important respect in which Skocpol’s theory should be viewed in a new light. Of Skocpol’s two main causal factors, it is fair to say that most readers have focused attention on the state breakdown variable. For example, students of Skocpol who have developed their own major theories of social revolution have zeroed in on this variable (Goldstone 1990; Goodwin 2001). Yet our results quite clearly suggest that, empirically speaking, the peasant revolt variable is the causally more important one. — Gary Goertz, Social Science Concepts, 1401

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to Goldstone’s and Goodwin’s state-centered theories of revolution, both of which inherit Skocpol’s emphasis on state breakdown over peasant agency.