Incrementalism is a method of working by adding to or subtracting from a project using many small incremental changes instead of a few (extensively planned) large jumps. Logical incrementalism implies that the steps in the process are sensible. Logical incrementalism focuses on "the Power-Behavioral Approach to planning rather than to the Formal Systems Planning Approach". In public policy, incrementalism is the method of change by which many small policy changes are enacted over time in order to create a larger broad based policy change. Political scientist Charles E. Lindblom developed this theoretical policy of rationality in the 1950s as a middle way between the rational actor model and bounded rationality, as both long term, goal-driven policy rationality and satisficing were not seen as adequate.^{[citation needed]}

Most people use incrementalism without ever needing a name for it because it is the natural and intuitive way to tackle everyday problems, such as making coffee or getting dressed. These actions normally do not require extensive planning and problems can be dealt with one at a time as they arise.^{[citation needed]}

Even in processes that involve more extensive planning, incrementalism is often an important tactic for dealing reactively with small details. For example, one might plan a route for a driving trip on a map, but one would not typically plan in advance where to change lanes or how long to stop at each traffic light.

Lindblom's essay “The Science of Muddling Through” (1959) helped policymakers understand why they needed to consider a different approach when making policy changes. The goal for the new perspective of incrementalism was for policy makers to avoid making changes before they really engaged and rationally thought through the issue.^{[self-published source?]}

In large projects following some type of strategic planning, there is normally a need to allocate time to plan the project in order to avoid "fire fighting", in other words the avoidance of time delaying issues. In contrast to other systems of planning such as top down, bottom up, and so on, incrementalism involves concentrating on dealing with the immediate problems as they arrive and avoiding trying to create an overall strategic plan. This means muddling through the issues at hand based on importance.^{[citation needed]}

Strategic implementation is a very well thought out plan of implementation that is the opposite to incrementalism. Although the plan involved with the strategic implementation might work incrementally it has set objectives at set times with little to no intention of muddling through the process. In other words, every part of the implementation would be expected and planned for ahead of time.^{[citation needed]}

The antithesis of incrementalism is that work must be accomplished in one single push rather than through a process of continuous improvement. All work must be planned, only presented when complete and work in progress must be hidden.^{[citation needed]}

In political science, research on incrementalism has largely been incorporated into the study of Punctuated equilibrium in social theory, which views policy change as periods of incremental improvement punctuated by major policy shifts.^{[citation needed]}