Policy process theory development: Perspectives from European junior scholars

Abstract The development of policy process theories is progressing rapidly. Scholars increasingly apply these theories originated in the US to different contexts and continents, such as Europe. Furthermore, scholars at different career stages, including junior scholars, work on and with these theories. Focusing on junior scholars, this paper poses the following question: What are the key considerations of European junior scholars engaging in policy process theory development? We present three observations: The first observation refers to the general construction of a research project contributing to theory development. The second observation investigates how teaching policy process research and public policy, in general, can advance theory development. The third observation focuses on how to bridge the science‐practice gap as a junior scholar working on policy process theories. The three observations highlight the potential of making use of your own agency as a junior scholar engaging in policy process theory development in Europe.