The real reasons permanent Daylight Saving Time never stuck

Whether you support DST or Standard Time, the science is clear: switching from one to the other every year is terrible for human health. So why didn’t we stick to one system all year? The answer is both scientific AND political.

In January 1974, the clocks of the United States leapt forward, with no intention of ever going backwards. This policy was introduced by President Richard Nixon as an energy-saving response to the oil crisis of the previous year. Theoretically, later sunsets would help offset energy consumption. A two-year evaluation period was initiated with the intention of making it permanent.

Clearly, that didn’t happen, and the reasons we still have our biannual clock change can be summed up in one word: Watergate. Permanent daylight saving time lasted only a few weeks longer than Nixon himself. In late September 1974, a month after the president’s resignation, the Senate voted Nothing politics.

The idea of ​​a permanent DST change quickly faded, in part because federal law prevents states from changing time and time zones. But over the past decade, the idea has gained ground.

Would permanent daylight saving time really improve our quality of life?

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