Abstract

Navigating the intricate landscape of modern governance has increasingly placed the exploration of policy mixes at the heart of political science. As governments strive to address the “wicked problems” of our time—complex, interwoven issues such as climate change, economic inequality, and public health crises—the need for effective combinations of policy instruments and actors has never been more critical. Central to this effort is the pursuit of policy coherence, which aims to align diverse policies, manage trade-offs, and prevent the pitfalls of overlapping and redundant measures that can derail even the most well-intentioned initiatives. However, despite its importance, policy coherence remains elusive, fraught with challenges in its conceptualization, measurement, and practical application. This article tackles these challenges head-on through a mixed-methods approach, blending a comprehensive review of the literature with conceptual case studies that simulate real-world policy scenarios. Our findings reveal that while qualitative methods offer valuable insights into the nuanced dynamics of policy interactions, there is a pressing need for more robust quantitative tools to accurately measure and enhance coherence across varied policy domains. Moreover, the study underscores the limitations of current approaches, particularly their dependence on extensive data and the complexities involved in capturing the full scope of policy interdependencies. By weaving together these insights, this article enriches the ongoing discourse on policy coherence and charts practical pathways for future research and policy development, with the ultimate goal of crafting more coherent and effective solutions to the world’s most intractable challenges.