CONTEXT
To be a reasonably well-informed citizen in a democracy succumbing to radical right kleptocratic authoritarianism, one needs to know a little about the Overton Window. As we all know, the GOP has realigned from old-fashioned, pro-democracy conservatism with elite MAGA and CN (Christian nationalist) tyranny and kleptocracy.
However, while MAGA and CN elites are authoritarian and anti-democratic, their operational base remains within traditionally conservative institutions and structures, specifically the Republican Party and allied organizations like CPAC, the Heritage Foundation and The Federalist Society. The GOP has functionally merged with MAGA/CN factions, especially since 2016 but arguably going farther back to at least the John Birch Society of the 1960s. The merger and takeover of conservatism blurs traditional distinctions between "conservative" and both "radical right authoritarian" and "kleptocrat."
MAGA and CN's anti-democratic agenda usually advances via legalistic authoritarianism rather than overt coups, although djt's 1/6/21 coup attempt was an exception. For example, they weaponize the rule of law concept by gerrymandering, judicial appointments, and procedural obstruction, e.g., Senate filibusters. The point is to exploit democratic systems to entrench authoritarian minority rule.
That's a deadly serious problem. For tens of millions of Americans, the label "conservative" effectively masks the authoritarian and kleptocratic agendas of both MAGA and CN elites. That's where the OW (Overton window) comes in. Many people simply cannot see the ugly reality because authoritarianism and kleptocracy have been propagandized and demagogued to be within an authoritarian OW.
TRIFURCATION OF THE OW
The single Overton window is usually shown about like this
I've discussed the OW before, e.g., footnote 1 in this post, footnote 1 in this post, footnote 1 of this post, and all of this post. Wikipedia discusses the concept (my inserts are underlined and emphasis added):
The Overton window is the range of subjects and arguments politically acceptable to the mainstream population at a given time. It is also known as the window of discourse. The key to the concept is that the window changes over time. The OW can shift, shrink, expand. The OW can move to the political extreme left or extreme right, especially when driven by decades of divisive demagoguery, lies, slanders and reality-detached, crackpot reasoning. It exemplifies the slow evolution of societal values and norms over time.
The term is named after the American policy analyst and former senior vice president at Mackinac Center for Public Policy, Joseph Overton, who proposed that the political viability of an idea depends mainly on whether it falls within an acceptability range, rather than on the individual preferences of politicians using the term or concept.
What decades of dark free speech, including demagoguery and constant lies, from MAGA and CN elites has done is to create another "MAGA/CN" OW where authoritarianism and kleptocracy have been normalized and made acceptable concepts for normal political discourse, and government and society generally. According to information Pxy found, extreme polarization in American politics has created three different OWs. There is a 3rd OW at play and it can tip the balance of power:
Q: About what portion or % of adult Americans are trapped in the MAGA/CN Overton Window, what % is in the old pro-secular democracy window and where are the rest of the people politically situated in terms of mindset?A: Based on recent polling data and scholarly analysis, the American electorate can be segmented into three broad mindset categories: MAGA/Christian Nationalist (CN) adherents (20–25% of adults), pro-secular democracy advocates (40–45%), and disengaged or conflicted moderates (30–35%).
So there we have it, there are three different OWs. Lots of deep dives with Pxy into this trifurcated politics situation leads to absolutely fascinating research and analysis. For example, in terms of mindset, the moderates tend to be about halfway between the minds that MAGA/CN dark free speech traps compared to the much more fact, true truth and sound reasoning-based pro-secular democracy crowd. The moderates apparently tend to be a bit paralyzed (conflicted) by cognitive dissonance and thus many or most of them are not very informed or engaged with politics.
Absolutely fascinating stuff. But to try to stay out of the land of TL/DR, or at least not get in any deeper, I'll stop here.
Not really the OW trifurcation --
replace wise mind with conflicted and
disengaged and maybe that gets fairly close
