Charles E. Lindblom

Charles E. Lindblom was an American political scientist known for developing the theory of incrementalism in public policy making. He proposed that policies are best understood as a result of mutual adjustments among various actors with differing values, interests, and information.1

Lindblom viewed the ideal of rational-comprehensive decision-making as unattainable, as it requires agreement on objectives and a complete knowledge base, which are rarely met in practice. Instead, incrementalism suggests that policymakers build upon existing policies, making small, manageable changes rather than radical overhauls. This approach focuses on solving concrete problems and allows for learning through trial and error over successive policy cycles.1