The Saying 'Bottom-up' - Meaning And Origin. - The Phrase Finder

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What's the meaning of the phrase 'Bottom-up'?

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.

What's the origin of the phrase 'Bottom-up'?

‘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

The history of “Bottom – up” in printed materials

Trend of bottom – up in printed material over time

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About the Author

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

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