incrementalismn.

1968 Amer. Polit. Sci. Rev. Dec. 1226/1 For most of the 19 states, it is a combination of incrementalism and legislative dependence on the governor's recommendation that shapes the budgets of major agencies.

1977 Time 7 Nov. 60/2 Munro's own term for his reportorial style is ‘incrementalism’; typically, he squirrels away all sorts of documents, vignettes and conversations that he later weaves into stories.

1982 S. H. Beer Britain against Itself 66 Britain has chosen the path of pluralism and incrementalism in which decisions are made—or avoided—in a ‘piece-meal bargaining process of mutual adjustment among the interested parties’.

1989 Mod. Painters Autumn 47/2 We continue to pursue schemes for social improvement, mostly of a material kind, and there is nothing wrong in that. But can man live by incrementalism alone? For politics, it might be better if he could. But the artist?