Definition
The range of policies and ideas considered politically acceptable to mainstream voters at a given time. Shifting the window means making previously radical ideas seem reasonable, or vice versa.
Example Usage
Twenty years ago, marijuana legalization was outside the Overton window; now even conservative states are debating it.
Origin
Named after Joseph Overton of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, who developed the concept in the 1990s.
Fun Fact
Political strategists deliberately use extreme proposals to shift the Overton window, making their actual goals seem moderate by comparison—ask for the moon to get the rooftop.
Source: Political theory and strategy terminology
Related Terms
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