User talk:Bobcatj15/sandbox

In "Incrementalism in Appropriations:Small Aggregation, Big Changes,”it is questioned whether budget changes vary in size depending on the level it is on. Data sets from different years are compared the size of the changes. In attempt to make change it is necessary to compare several changes made in the past to determine the extent of change that needs to be made. Sometimes changes are made to rapidly or in a drastic way and can be far less successful. 

Incrementalism before the storm: Network Performance for the Evacuation of New Orleans gives background information on how the city of New Orleans did and did not prepare for the horrific hurricane that demolished their city. One of the biggest problems was the lack of resources the city had to help. Most of the people, who were incapable of fleeing the city on their own, because they too lacked the resources to do so, paid the consequences with their lives. Some of the governor’s staff attempted to help by arranging transportation for the immobile but were told to stop because there were already enough busses coming. When a natural disaster of any sort affects a city, especially the way it affected New Orleans, there is no such thing as enough help. Hurricane Katrina showed that the proper planning, even in the smallest way, like having a shelter or transportation for the citizens to evacuate, is needed. The most important mission should always be to save all lives or as many as possible.

Lindblom’s article on Incrementalism, “The Science of Muddling Through,” examines five basic theories of current empirical and theoretical approaches; it is also the most cited works in social science. When small steps are made it is easier to reverse if needed. As humans, we are never 100 percent sure of the things we want until we try them. And because of the uncertainty, we are susceptible to failure. Overtime things change (like government) and if we are unwilling to think rationally and practical, we are being left behind. Change is necessary and should be done often.

In Medicare and the Politics of Incrementalism Marmor argues that the lack of understanding of the program has made maintaining and strengthening it difficult. It is to his surprise that the program has lasted as long as it has. Over time universal health insurance has made changes that have been unsuccessful. When the program first started it was beneficial and it concentrated on the elderly in hospitals but when changes to better the program began to take place, the program started hurting rather than helping the people in need. At first the insurance that was being offered was being paid through payroll taxes but after it was expanded to universal health care it was now being funded by General revenues and offered less coverage. Out of pocket co-pays became too expensive for the people to pay and it was covering less than before.

According to Mintzberg, an incremental change in financial planning is essential and has broken it up into 3 major models, entrepreneurial, adaptive, and planning. The entrepreneurial mode is bold and takes risks; adaptive models make small changes and are uncertain; the planning model anticipates a fixed plan but is still uncertain of the possible outcome. Because change is obvious, people are constantly changing to adjust to the world around them and planning in financial budgeting should also be a constant adjustment.