Slow-burn policy much more than just a bad phase WHEN governments introduce new policies, it is not uncommon for changes to be phased in over time. No need to frighten the horses, give everyone time to adapt, spread the costs over several years - these are the typical rationales for policy transitions. There are, of course, various rebuttals to these points. If the new policy is correct and well-designed, why wait? Getting on with a new policy in toto will expose any flaws, which can be corrected, compared with a slow-burn when many factors change and flaws are harder to detect. If the policy is a complete disaster - the Danish fat tax is an example - it can be quickly ditched, with little long-term damage.