The idea behind the Overton window is that there is a narrow range of acceptable policy ideas that someone could advocate for. To expand this window requires publicly advocating for seemingly radical policies (the difference, say, between advocating for raising the minimum wage by a dollar or by 10 dollars). The idea being that, if you ask to raise the minimum wage by 10 dollars, then asking to raise it by 5 dollars seems more reasonable.
I bring this up because newly elected congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is floating around the idea of having a 70% marginal tax rate on income over 10 million dollars. Many are calling her proposal radical, yet Ocasio-Cortez isn’t shying away from the term. When pressed by Anderson Cooper about her “radical” policy proposal, Ocasio-Cortez embraced the label. “It only has ever been radicals that have changed this country,” she said. “Abraham Lincoln made the radical decision to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. Franklin Delano Roosevelt made the radical decision to embark on establishing programs like Social Security. If that’s what radical means, call me a radical.”
Embracing seemingly radical ideas to widen the Overton window is not a new idea. Yet, the idea seems to hold more weight now than it has before. From banning all Muslims from entering the country to banning all transgender people from the military, President Trump is no stranger to expanding the window. He plays solely to his base and has little to no opposition from his fellow Republicans in congress. This allows him to push for radical policies while having little fear of it hurting his political standing. His base is secure and he isn’t in jeopardy of losing their support. This is where the Overton window is different for Republicans than it is for Democrats.
On one hand, the Republican Party is now the party of Trump. No question about that. Widening the Overton window from the Republican perspective has minimal political consequence. The Democratic party, however, is not tethered to a single idea or politician. This allows them to be more flexible with policy ideas and proposals, yet expanding the window from their perspective is a riskier move. Ocasio-Cortez’s 70% marginal tax rate proposal is popular among democratic socialists, yet not everyone in the Democratic party is thrilled with the idea. Herein lies the problem for progressive Democrats. Do you push for “radical” policy with the hope that it widens the Overton window? Or do you push for more achievable, incremental measures in order to achieve your policy goals?
We’ve seen how this has affected the Democratic Party, as recently as 2016. Bernie Sanders undoubtedly pushed Hillary Clinton and the rest of the democratic party further left than they had been before. The risk was that it would divide the party between a more moderate bent and a more progressive one. As we all know, Clinton ended up with the nomination and ultimately lost in the general election. It’s my feeling, however, that Sanders was much more likely to pick up would-be Trump voters than Clinton. Sanders represented something new, something different. People wanted to throw a bomb into our political machinery and that’s what they got in President Trump. Clinton represented more of the same, even if her policies became increasingly progressive.
After 4 years of a Trump presidency, I think it’s safe to say that people will want a radical change. The democratic nomination for 2020 is up for grabs and it’s anyone’s guess as to who will take the mantle. It’s a crowded field and the candidates will be fighting for all the attention that they can get. If Ocasio-Cortez’s rise to fame is any indication, some of the democratic candidates will try to emulate her approach. Will it push the entire party to the left? Or will it fracture into two distinct ideologies? My belief is that whoever comes out of the Democratic primary will be much more bold (dare I say, radical?) in their policy proposals. Whether or not this translates to success in the general election is anyone’s guess. I, for one, am curious to see how it all shakes out. Get your popcorn ready!
Deconstructed Politics 