Gradualism is slow political change through incremental reforms, while revolutionary change abruptly alters society. Karl Marx advocated for revolutionary change, while the US implemented Progressive Era reforms through the democratic process. Gradualism has been debated in politics, with some arguing for stability and others for faster change.
Gradualism is slow and continuous political change brought about by incremental reforms. It is contrasted with revolutionary change, which can abruptly alter the structure of society. There are many examples in history of gradual change versus abrupt change, including Progressive Era reforms in the United States as opposed to the more sudden 1917 Bolshevik revolution in Russia. In modern politics, gradualism is the doctrine that social change should be accomplished within the framework of existing law – in other words, long-term goals can be better achieved by pursuing incremental steps rather than triggering the instability that accompanies the sudden change.
Revolutionary change in Russia
German philosopher Karl Marx argued against gradualism as the way to improve the living conditions of the lower class. He believed that capitalism was inherently unstable and that the social friction it caused would bring about its downfall. Rather than push for incremental change, he called for the working class to violently overthrow the existing social structure. Only then, according to Marx, could the inequality between people be overcome.
Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin played a central role in putting Marx’s theories into practice. The October Revolution of 1917 was an armed insurrection in present-day St. Petersburg, Russia that overthrew the existing government. The Russian Civil War broke out soon after and ended five years later, with Lenin leading a communist government. Like Marx, Lenin believed that the road to socialism would not be accessible by following existing laws. The use of violence to completely and rapidly reshape society is the opposite of gradualism.
Progressive change in the United States
The experience in the United States during this period was very different. Between 1890 and 1920, the United States implemented laws to tackle corruption, give women the right to vote, and improve working conditions for the working poor. Although some violent protests occurred, these reforms were eventually implemented through the democratic process. Many of them have become amendments to the US Constitution.
Arguments for and against gradualism
Gradualism has been the subject of political debate. Many US politicians during the 1960s were in favor of racially integrating public schools, but opposed any hasty change: They argued that a sudden end to segregation in schools would lead to costly instability and violence. Opponents of this policy, however, have argued that such gradualness has postponed real change. According to them, there was no longer any justification for continuing the policy of segregating black and white students. When the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed, it outlawed racial segregation in schools.
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