The Overton Window

The Overton Window is a political concept developed during the mid-1990's by Joseph Overton at the far-right Mackinac Center for Public Policy. The basic idea is that potential public policy in an area such as labor law, social security reform, or healthcare can be defined as a continuum, from far-right positions to far-left ones.

Somewhere between the two extremes is a "window" of policies that politicians can feel comfortable espousing and implementing. Policies in this comfort window are not necessarily the best ones, but are the ones that are sufficiently in the mainstream of public opinion. Elected officials who advocate policies within the Overton window don't greatly risk being thrown out of office because of those stances. Since politicians tend to put self-preservation above all else, most would theoretically restrict their views to ones within the moderate "window of political possibilities".

The successful implementation of polices outside the current window requires an actual shift of the entire window rightward or leftward. These shifts of acceptable policies can happen in many ways. Sometimes, the window shifts through generational change. Sometimes the window shifts due to grassroots activism and education of the public. Too often, the window shifts due to a relentless barrage of propaganda from a network of well-funded think-tanks and media pundits.

Let's look at a few examples. After reelection, George W. Bush pushed for privatizing Social Security, saying he would spend his "political capital" on the idea. Similarly, the first version of Paul Ryan's Path to Prosperity manifesto advocated privatization. These initiatives went nowhere. Politicians stampeded from the concept like a herd of buffalo. Privatization of Social Security was something that the public simply did not want. Privatization was outside of the public's Overton Window on the issue.

Another example is gay rights. During the (first) Clinton Administration, no politician was advocating same-sex marriage. To do so would have been political suicide. Even an executive order implementing "Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell" was met with much gnashing of teeth by the public. Fast forward to 2011, when gays were first allowed to openly serve in the military. And today, same-sex couples are allowed to marry. Gay rights are now mainstream public policy. The Overton Window for gay rights has shifted dramatically over 25 years away from government-legislated morality and toward personal freedom.

The Overton Window concept should, in principle, lead to moderate and bipartisan policies. When legislation is based on a limited range of acceptable policies, it should be easy for legislators to find political common ground. It should be easy for politicians of all stripes to join together to realize the will of the people, right ?

On the contrary, Washington has never been so divided. We have never had such a grid-locked, do-nothing Congress. There is little agreement on anything. It is seen as a major accomplishment just to keep the Federal Government open. So why the breakdown? What accounts for the political train-wreck that is the US Congress? Why is the Overton Window concept not working to bring Congress together to pass popular bipartisan laws?

The Overton Window concept does not always apply. Some highly popular policies, such as a minimum wage increase, common sense gun laws, or campaign finance laws cannot be passed on a national level. These policies are comfortably within the public's acceptance, well within the Overton Window. Yet they cannot seem to gain traction. In many cases, big money from corporations and lobbyists trumps the will of the people.

Political self-preservation overrules all other factors. When confronted by a choice between acting on the will of constituents or obeying big donors, the donors win every time. Politicians are more than willing to promote radical policies that are outside of the Window in return for campaign cash, or to avoid a well-funded primary challenge. Pols are more obsequious to their donors than to the people they are supposed to represent.

A second reason that the Overton Window concept does not give us a more productive Congress is that there is not just one set of windows, but two. There is a set of acceptable policies for the right and one for the left, and these windows seldom overlap.

Due to gross Congressional gerrymandering, there are few competitive House races. There are only a few competitive Senate races. Almost every political district tilts strongly left or right. In order to get re-elected, politicians only need to keep "their" electorate happy. They only need to promote policies within the Overton Window of the majority of their voters. This leads to little compromise on major issues and an absurdly partisan Congress.

The Overton Window concept is an interesting filter through which to view politics. In its simplest form, it states that politicians tend to support ideas that are acceptable to most of their voters. It can explain why some policies are implemented and some are not. It sheds some light on the divisive partisanship in Congress. However, the Overton Window is not the entire story. When big money or powerful lobbyists speak, politicians are more than willing to vote against the aspirations of their constituents. 

 First published by Paul C. Adair in Germantown NOW, Just Sayin' blog, January 5, 2015.