The primary theme of the book is American totalitarianism, which is broken into several sub-themes. The first of these sub-themes is that it’s possible for totalitarianism to take hold in America, in contrast to many characters who argue that it is not. From there, the primary themes are the rise of totalitarian governments, how such governments operate, and their internal contradictions.

The book argues that American totalitarianism is likely to be the product of a charismatic con-man and skilled orator who is able to channel popular dissatisfaction with existing politics-as-usual in times of crisis in order to propel himself and a close cabal of advisors to a position of power. Times of economic crisis allow legitimate grievances to be channeled by opportunistic candidates if they are not addressed by the existing political establishment.

Throughout the book, Lewis argues that class resentment is a crucial component of support for a would-be fascist, as represented by the character of Shad Ledue. Another aspect of support for the rise of totalitarianism in the book is resentment and discrimination along racial, religious, and gender lines. African-Americans, Jewish people, and women are all singled out as targets by Windrip on the campaign trail, which helps him build support by promising to roll back the clock to an earlier era, when these groups had fewer rights.