The Overton Window

 For this EOTO Blog we were tasked with defining and posting about a specific Term or Concept. I could have chosen something easy to talk about like propaganda but The Overton Window had caught my eye. The Overton Window is an unfamiliar term that I hear quite often on the news or in TV shows, notably Showtime’s Billions. 

The Overton Window is defined as, the spectrum of ideas on public policy and social issues considered acceptable by the general public at a given time. But what does that even mean? Simply, it describes political Ideas and Ideology that is able to be accepted by the general public, while ideas that come off as



politically radical are considered out of the Overton Window. A very common misperception of the Overton Window is that politicians  themselves actually shift the window.


A shift in the Overton Window is caused by the public opinion, not by the political powers that be. However, a good politician knows how to use the Overton to their advantage. Let’s put a shift into perspective, remember the Prohibition? Well if we take a look at the spectrum between the banishment and sale of alcohol we can see a prime example of the Overton Window shifting with the public’s opinion on booze. Drinking was socially unacceptable at the time and people let is consume their lives, the people were fed up and politicians used this shift to place a ban on alcohol. But as we know today the people soon changed their minds, electing officials that support their new views and ideas on alcohol, and lifting the ban.


Prohibition is not the only example of the Overton Window shifting. Today a huge topic of concern is gun control and we see that in just a few years the public opinion has shifted from less control to more. Soon the people will elect officials that will enact strict firearms policies. However these officials will likely go overboard with their legislation and we will see the Overton Window shift back again. Just like it does all across our political history.


-Nick Letts


https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjTis3dydD4AhUhjYkEHZLMDV0QFnoECAYQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mackinac.org%2FOvertonWindow&usg=AOvVaw20NubqKwzBEEwGTfG8QHUQ

https://youtu.be/FMU0w4MP8Dc

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