With precision, Cahn and Carbone first detail the surprising reality about divorce, abortion, custody, marriage, sexual behavior, and sexual education in the United States today. As they outline in the first two chapters, the moral demography and sexual history of the country have changed dramatically over time, resulting in a polarization of a sexual culture within the country. As the authors next describe, blue states are comprised of highly educated, middle class families in urban areas. As a result of a new value system, it is argued that the blue regions of the country have created a new family culture poised for the post-industrial economy. Specifically, the culture in blue states encourages egalitarian gender roles and acceptance of gay and lesbian couples, womens workforce participation, and delaying marriage and childbearing until both parents are financially and emotionally ready.
In comparison, the red regions of the country have rejected the value system found in blue states today. Red families are described as poor Appalachian whites with relatively high teen pregnancy rates, Utah Mormons with higher educational attainment and lower teen birthrates but younger average ages at marriage, mountain families in Wyoming and Montana with strong libertarian traditions, and suburban and rural Midwestern families from Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas (p.11). In red states, teen childbirth is an alleged deterrent to non-marital sexuality, marriage is sacred and only found between men and women, and divorce is considered a sin. Despite these family values, however, the evidence presented shows that red states experience higher rates of teen pregnancy and divorce. Cahn and Carbone depict in RED FAMILIES v. BLUE FAMILIES that a culturally conservative red America is stuck trying to sustain an outdated social value model. Thus, by insisting on abstinence before marriage, Cahn and Carbone argue, social conservatives guarantee their children will get pregnant early and often, leading to shotgun marriages, teen childbirth and high divorce rates.