An approach to organisation or planning that is built up from basic details rather than from a guiding principal or theory. It is a form of organisation often associated with the democratic involvement of many individuals rather than one governed by an individual or small group.
‘Bottom-up’ is inextricably linked with its converse, ‘top-down’. Both are from the mid-20th century and it’s appropriate that the first citation of ‘bottom-up’ also includes ‘top-down’ – from the 1942 edition of Harvard University’s Quarterly Journal of Economics:
“In the long run it is part of the larger question of whether ‘bottom-up’ control can be as efficient as ‘top-down’ control.”
The debate is still active in many fields, economic development included. On the one hand there are the bottom-up adherents of small-scale democratically managed development as championed by E F Schumacher in Small is Beautiful
Trend of bottom – up in printed material over time
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T UV W XYZ
American Animals Australian Bible Body Colour Conflict Death Devil Dogs Emotions Euphemism Family Fashion Food French Horses ‘Jack’ Luck Money Military Music Names Nature Nautical Numbers Politics Religion Shakespeare Stupidity Entertainment Weather Women Work
Have you spotted something that needs updated on this page? We review all feedback we receive to ensure that we provide the most accurate and up to date information on phrases.
