This paper discusses how polities deal with wicked issues. Contrary to common conjectures, the uncertainty regarding the problem definition is not caused by contrasting scientific evidence, but by different value propositions. As a result, wickedness cannot simply be resolved by evidence-based policymaking. In fragmented societies, polities need power brokers in order to get things done. Power brokers transcend cleavages in society, securing the brokerage of information and distributing power. The role of power broker in Flanders is often taken up by political advisors (in the so-called cabinets), due to their extensive policy networks. The objective of this paper is to critically review the role of cabinets as power broker in the taming of wicked problems. It is argued that the role of scientific knowledge is not as subordinate as literature suggests as cabinets are forced to bring about actual consensus on the problem definition, rather than close traditional package-deals.
