Overton Window
Range of ideas tolerated in public discourse, according to current climates that will tend to exclude extreme perspectives.
Origin
Joseph P. Overton (1960–2003), a political scientist and senior vice president at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Michigan, developed the framework in the mid-1990s under the name "Window of Political Possibilities." After Overton's death in an ultralight aircraft accident in 2003, his colleague Joseph Lehman named the concept in his honor. The model has since gained broad currency in political commentary.
Everyday Use
How things are framed is such an important part of the dialogue -- not just in politics or in society, but within ourselves. Through framing, arguments can be won or lost before we even get to the table for the debate. The Overton Window reminds us to acknowledge the scope in which we are being asked to maneuver — and there are times when where we want to be is beyond those narrow bands.