Gradual: The Case for Incremental Change in a Radical Age

How Small Steps Can Solve Global Problems
Many experts believe that humanity is currently at a tipping point that requires radical shifts in thinking and policymaking. Calls for bold, global change are coming from everywhere—from presidents and opinion leaders to political opponents, bloggers, and even your neighbors who have all become activists at some point. This is especially true on social media. But is radicalism really the best way to make the world a better place?

Greg Berman and Aubrey Fox’s “Gradualism” argues that, despite activists’ radical aspirations, incremental reform is the best way forward. The authors emphasize that in times of intense polarization—the division into “black” and “white”—any effort to push for radical change is bound to backfire. The public has little support for bold changes, but it is willing to support a wide range of incremental reforms that, if implemented, would reduce suffering and increase justice. To illustrate how incremental changes can lead to significant change over time, Berman and Fox provide portraits of “heroic incrementalists” who have implemented significant reforms in areas ranging from expanding welfare to reducing crime and incarceration.