Kaitlin Alper

Kaitlin Alper is an Assistant Professor on the tenure track in the Department of Political Science and Public Management at the University of Southern Denmark, Faculty of Social Sciences. Her academic work focuses on public administration, welfare, and politics, with a strong emphasis on comparative political economy and social policy in advanced democracies.

Her research interests include:

• Welfare State
• Social Rights
• Workers Participation
• Regional Identity
• Poverty Alleviation
• OECD Countries
• Inequality and Security

Kaitlin’s recent publications explore the intersection of welfare, crime, and inequality across rich OECD nations and examine how regional identities influence political behavior in Western Europe. Her work often involves comparative analysis across post-industrial democracies, frequently collaborating with leading scholars such as Peter Starke, Evelyne Huber, and John D. Stephens. She employs both qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze large-scale social trends.

The themes across her articles reflect a consistent focus on social justice, institutional responses to inequality, and the dynamics of political attachment in fragmented societies. Her research bridges political science, sociology, and public policy, contributing to debates on the future of the welfare state and democratic legitimacy.

Kaitlin is actively involved in teaching and supervision. She has taught courses such as Globalization, Organization and the State and supervised multiple MA theses. Her teaching aligns closely with her research, emphasizing structural inequalities, state institutions, and political behavior.

She has not received any explicitly mentioned scientific awards. However, her work has attracted scholarly attention, with readership on platforms like Mendeley and mentions on academic social media (X).

Kaitlin is affiliated with a collaborative research network focused on comparative welfare states and political behavior. Her recent external collaborations span multiple European countries, indicating strong international engagement. She contributes to both journal articles and book chapters, often in peer-reviewed, research-intensive formats.