Delirium tells the story of how a small group of reactionaries, who want to control sex, hijacked American politics. Author and historian Nancy L. Cohen traces our current political dysfunction to the machinations of a well-organized, religiously-based movement to reverse the sexual revolution and hold back the tide of women’s rights, gay rights, and the changing American family. Delirium charts the strange history of this bipartisan sexual counterrevolution and exposes how an extremist minority, out of step with mainstream America, has been able to commandeer national discourse.

 

Why is your book called Delirium? 

Because you can’t title a book Crazy. The big question is, why is our political climate so insane? 

Asked for “one single word to describe your impression of the budget negotiations in Washington,” Americans volunteered “crazy,” “disgusting,” “stupid,” and “juvenile.” Two-thirds of the American public called it “ridiculous.” In the weeks after the debt ceiling crisis, polls registering record levels of dissatisfaction poured in from every major survey firm and every major news outlet. Obama’s approval rating fell to its lowest level yet, but Congress and the GOP fared even worse. Approval of Congress plunged to an all time low, while disapproval of the Republican Party rose to record highs.