EOTO - Overton Window

 

Overton Window - What is it?    
The Overton Window is a political theory model for understanding the range of ideas or policies that the general public is willing to accept. 

Essentially, (as this source explains) there are a wide range of political ideas that exist. However, depending on current public values and opinions, politicians know that there is only a limited number of policies that the public is willing to consider and accept. These ideas - ones that the public is willing to support – are politically safe and fall inside the Overton Window. In contrast, ideas that are too radical for the public, and that most citizens will reject with fall outside the Overton Window.

In other words, think of the Overton Window as a window of public opinion. Public opinion can shift or change, and in order for a political leader to be successful, their opinions and policies must be backed by public support (their policies must fall inside the Overton Window).

In this way, politicians are limited to only supporting policies that lie inside the Overton Window. This is because if they try to support an idea that is outside the window, they risk losing public support – which may mean failing to keep office, or not winning their next election – because they are pushing an idea that the majority of voters disagree with.  

How does the Overton Window grow, shrink, move, or shift?
The Overton Window can shift and change over time, mainly through the evolution of social values or norms. The window is also always moving, usually slowly but sometimes quickly depending on social events taking place. In most cases, the window is shifted by a crisis or a social movement. However, anything that alters the public's perception of a policy or idea can shift the Overton Window. For instance, media and entertainment, a think tank, or historical events are other cause that could change the Overton Window. Essentially, anything that gets an idea out in the air and up for debate has the ability to shape the Overton Window. 

Outside the Overton Window, there are some ideas that fall right outside its edge, while other political ideas may be far away from the window. Ideas that are near the edge of the Overton Window may soon be accepted by the general public in the near future, because all it takes is a small shift in public opinion to cause these ideas to fall inside the window. 

One important point is that political figures generally do not try to move the Overton Window. Instead, they will detect where the Overton Window is and move their policies or opinions to align with how the window currently exists.  

Historical examples
Abolishing slavery, giving women the right to vote, or same sex marriage are all examples of the Overton Window shifting. Originally there was strong public opposition to each of these examples. However, through social movements and activism, social crisis (such as the Civil War), and media support (such as in the case of gay marriage) the window drastically shifted from what it once was.

The Overton Window in Current Times  
A current example is gun rights. Through advocacy, the National Rifle Association has helped shift public opinion to support gun rights, which has shifted the Overton Window. Black Lives Matter is another current example, with protests and demonstrations drastically shaping the Overton Window and the policies that legislators will support.  

Conclusion
The Overton Window does not tell you whether a policy is "good" or "bad." Instead, it functions as a way to describe the narrow range of ideas that the public is willing to consider or accept, which is important for politicians to know so they can understand which policies voters will back. It also allows individuals to see how this window of public acceptance can grow, develop, and change over time.