Marius Müller
Right-wing Nationalism and the Transformation of American Politics
Docent: Jason Brown
Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
Englisches Seminar
Summer term 2020
The Overton Window
Experiment
Imagine, we were be part of a government in a democracy and our Party wanted to gain complete control over the curriculum at schools, in order to diffuse our ideology.
Experiment
How can we put this idea into practice?
Radical Approach
Radical Approach
Demand a compulsory attendance of federally controlled or state-run schools
Moderate Approach
Moderate Approach
1. Students must attend nearest local public school in their district
2. Prohibition of Homeschooling and Private Schools
6. All students must attend state-run schools
The Overton Window
Theory
- one-dimensional model
- axis of political opinion
- Overton Window is the status quo of publicly accepted opinions
Joseph P. Overton
- 4 Jan. 1960 – 30 June 2003
- former executive manager of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, Michigan
- named after him just after his death in 2003
How does the Overton Window move?
- usually by the slow evolution of societal values and norms
Moving the Window
- rarely by politicians courageously endorsing policies laying outside the window
Women's Rights
Step-By-Step
Foot-in-the-Door technique
D. J. Trump
"All or nothing"
Door-in-the-Face technique
Analysis
What happened to the Overton Window during
Trump's presidency?
Bringing the Unthinkable into the Discourse
Step 1
Making the Radical Acceptable
Step 2
- clear, hierarchical set of priorities in immigration enforcement
- target any unauthorized immigrant regardless of social, economic or family ties in the U.S.
Making the Acceptable a Policy
Step 3
Middle-Grounding
A new center
Result
Republican (CDT) – Republican (PDT) – Democrat
Thank you for your attention!
Sources
- https://www.mackinac.org/OvertonWindow#resources (04.07.20)
- https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/segments/how-fringe-ideas-become-policy (04.07.20)
- https://www.azquotes.com/quote/1423742 (04.07.20)
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v-hzc6blGI (29.06.20)
- https://qz.com/emails/quartz-obsession/1848715/ (29.06.20)
- http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trumps-extremism-pushes-broader-debate-radical-direction (29.06.20)
- https://www.cato.org/blog/trump-administration-continues-expand-interior-immigration-enforcement (06.07.20)
- https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/26/us/politics/overton-window-democrats.html (06.07.20)
- https://www.continuum.umn.edu/2020/02/what-is-a-presidential-primary-and-why-should-you-participate/ (08.07.20)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Door-in-the-face_technique (06.07.20)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foot-in-the-door_technique (06.07.20)
- https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/09/18/donald-trump-signs-border-wall-during-stop-u-s-mexico-border/2366099001/ (06.07.20)
- https://www.nationalreview.com/2015/12/donald-trump-overton-window-american-political-debate/ (06.07.20)
- https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/segments/how-fringe-ideas-become-policy 06.07.20)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overton_window (06.07.20)
- https://theconversation.com/how-ice-enforcement-has-changed-under-the-trump-administration-120322 (06.07.20)
- https://evertongomede.blogspot.com/2018/02/the-overton-window.html (06.07.20)
- https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/children-separated-trump-immigration-policy-zero-tolerance-parents-border-a8401526.html (06.07.20)
- https://www.welt.de/kultur/plus207770289/Kulturkampf-in-den-USA-Religionskrieg-um-Corona.html (06.07.20)
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmjwdDVBWk8&t=896s (06.07.20)