- Question
Can incrementalism work?
Incrementalism is when changes occur gradually. Most often referring to the policy of social change happening in degrees. The use of the term incrementalism is first attributed to Lindblom (1959) and then Wildavsky (1964). According to them, people break down complex problems into manageable steps. They simplify the process. From its inception, there has been a debate on whether incrementalism works to create change or if it actually detracts from change.
Yes, incrementalism works.
This position holds that incrementalism works. It argues that incremental, step-by-step progress is the basis of effective negotiation and of change itself — and that it is the only realistic way actually to achieve policy reform in a complex world.
No, incrementalism does not work.
This position holds that incrementalism does not work. It argues that real change requires a big surge of progress rather than small steps — that settling for minor gains actually stops people from demanding bigger ones — and that incremental approaches are an unfit response to a genuine crisis.
Incrementalism works, but not by itself.
This position holds that incrementalism works, but not on its own. It argues that real change requires both gradual, step-by-step progress and occasional big surges of momentum — incrementalism laying the groundwork that a decisive push then builds upon.