Don't you forget about me! Concepts missing from policy process frameworks when applied to Europe

Abstract

Most policy process frameworks were developed in the US but are also applied to (Western) Europe. However, policy processes, the relevant actors, and the institutional setting differ substantially. Hence, the question arises if certain concepts that are important in the European context are missing from the frameworks and if the frameworks have been adapted to take these concepts into account. We discuss the three frameworks most widely applied to Europe, the Advocacy Coalition Framework, the Multiple Streams Framework, and the Punctuated Equilibrium Theory, and focus on three concepts that seem particularly relevant in shaping European policy processes, namely political parties, macro‐level institutions, and Europeanization. It turns out that all three frameworks have something to say about all three concepts, although some voids remain. Nonetheless, the adaptations that have been suggested make all three frameworks applicable to European countries and promise substantial explanatory capacity also in these contexts.