Amitai Etzioni proposed which theory as a 'third approach' to public policy decision making?

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The idea being tested is that public policy decisions can be guided by a blended scanning process that uses both broad exploration and incremental adjustment. Amitai Etzioni proposed mixed scanning as a third path, sitting between wholly rational planning and strict incrementalism. It combines a global, strategic scan of major directions with a local, incremental examination of feasible options, allowing policymakers to explore big changes while still making stepwise, workable adjustments as conditions evolve. This approach fits real-world constraints like limited time, incomplete information, and political feasibility, offering a flexible way to move from broad goals to practical action. The other theories describe different angles—rational planning imagines a comprehensive, optimal solution; incrementalism stresses small, gradual steps; bounded rationality focuses on cognitive and information limits—but mixed scanning uniquely blends these elements into a practical decision-making process.