As I recall that Kansas story, it was a local school board that voted to delete evolution from the curriculim in favor of creationism. The vote was 3-2. At the next election, a few months later, the composition of the board changed and the creationsim/evolution policy was promptly reversed. Those kinds of "local" things happen sporadically, and the press usually gives them far more coverage than they're worthy of. Religious fundamentalism in the political realm has indeed been on the upswing here for the last twenty or so years, but if the current election cycle is any indicator, the political influence of those folks is beginning to ebb. I recall a press note a year or so ago to the effect that there's even a theatrical version of the famous/infamous "Scopes Trial" playing to modest success on the southern small town circuit. Despite the fundamentalist (i.e.; intolerant) quirks that happen here from time to time, the vast majority of the population is tolerant of a great variety of religious expressions. It was not without reason and sad experience that the founding fathers so clearly separated church and state. Theocracies, of any sort, are just bad forms of government.