The Overton Window Examined: A Series

Defining the limits of 'acceptable' ideas

One issue that has been beaten to death but deserves some exploring is the Overton Window.

Simply put, the Overton Window is the concept that, within the spectrum of all ideas available, there exists a spectrum of ideas that are politically viable and acceptable for discussion. Ideas outside of that window are deemed unacceptable or even unthinkable. When we have conversations inside the window, they feel safe. When our conversations stray outside the window, they feel dangerous.

Over time, the Overton window shifts as new ideas emerge and become popular, hopefully backed by some sort of reasoning or evidence. In the 1900’s for example, the political idea of women voters was unthinkable. Over time, as new ideas emerged about citizenship, society and the role of women, the idea became acceptable to discuss and, eventually became law. Women’s suffrage was finally enshrined in law and today, the concept of removing it is as unthinkable as the idea itself was in the 1900’s.

The Overton Window is a useful tool to think about political progress (or regress) but I believe that it oversimplifies what is currently happening on several fronts. In this weekly series, I’m going to be exploring the concept of Overton Windows and propose a few amendments or clarifications to the concepts. Those sub-issues are:

1. Multiple Windows: Conversations involving unthinkable or radical ideas ensure that they are discussing the same Overton Window.

2. Evidence and Acceptability:Perhaps the borders Overton Window have a hard limit or border on acceptability, but radical ideas require significant evidence to be permitted.

3. Unacceptable Ideas: How do we deal with them?

I hope you’ll join me and share your thoughts as explore these issues.

Image credit to Hydrargyrum - Own work, based on discussion here and diagram here., CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37831314