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Isabel M. Perera

@isabelmperera.bsky.social

3.5K followers 370 following 38 posts

Assistant Professor of Government at Cornell Author of The Welfare Workforce (CUP, open-access: https://tinyurl.com/yc2t9hw5) www.isabelmperera.com

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Isabel M. Perera @isabelmperera.bsky.social · Feb 6

As promised, here is a bit more on my new book, The Welfare Workforce, now available fully open-access from @cambridgeuppolisci.bsky.social 🧵 1/11

Isabel M. Perera @isabelmperera.bsky.social · Jan 10

I’m so happy to announce that my book is now published and available open-access! (🧵coming soon, too :)

Cambridge University Press Political Science & IR @cambup-polsci.cambridge.org · Jan 10

"A beautifully written and insightful take on the evolution of mental healthcare in advanced democracies, and one that opens a new lens on one of the most central, and largely unexamined, parts of the modern state."

The Welfare Workforce by Isabel M. Perera

Out now in #OpenAccess cup.org/3DQJizT

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Reposted by Isabel M. Perera

Julian Garritzmann @garritzmannj.bsky.social · 16d

Can we have 8 min of your time please?

@siljahausermann.bsky.social @bpalier.bsky.social & I wrote a very brief reflection on why social investment might be a misleading paradigm. Way forward: please distinguish different types of social investments!

More here journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....

Social investment—A (mis)leading paradigm? Why we need to distinguish different types of social investments - Julian Garritzmann, Silja Häusermann, Bruno Palier, 2025

Social investment has become a buzzword among social policy-makers and welfare state scholars alike. Social investments seem to be the natural social policy res...

journals.sagepub.com

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Isabel M. Perera @isabelmperera.bsky.social · 27d

Congratulations to Trevor Brown @jhuartssciences.bsky.social for winning the 2025 @apsa.bsky.social Labor Politics A Philip Randolph Award! Here presented by the great @mimiarnoldlyon.bsky.social 🥳

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Reposted by Isabel M. Perera

Scholars Strategy Network @scholars.org · 27d

We're thrilled to welcome @isabelmperera.bsky.social of Cornell University to the network! Perera's research focuses on how politics shape the social policies, labor markets, and overall economies of affluent democracies.

🔗 Learn more: scholars.org/scholar/isab...

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Reposted by Isabel M. Perera

Council for European Studies @ces-europe.bsky.social · Aug 20

📢 Call for Proposals

CES is pleased to invite submissions for its 32nd International Conference of Europeanists, to be held in Dublin, June 16–18, 2025.

For more information about the Conference Theme and how to apply visit: councilforeuropeanstudies.org/conferences/...

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Reposted by Isabel M. Perera

Ernesto Castañeda @drernestocast.bsky.social · Aug 9

Likely to backfire and make things worse. #HousingFirst programs work to get most people out of homelessness status. Defunding them is a bad with more costs for emergency housing and emergency room visits.

Isabel M. Perera @isabelmperera.bsky.social · Aug 7

Homelessness and Mental Illness: How Trump’s New Executive Order Could Backfire thefulcrum.us/governance-l...

With homelessness expert @charleywillison.bsky.social and the excellent support of @scholars.org !

Homelessness and Mental Illness: How Trump’s New Executive Order Could Backfire

In late July, President Trump signed an executive order urging local authorities to find ways to force homeless individuals with mental illness into hospitals. On its face, some observers might find t...

thefulcrum.us

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Isabel M. Perera @isabelmperera.bsky.social · Aug 7

Homelessness and Mental Illness: How Trump’s New Executive Order Could Backfire

thefulcrum.us

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Isabel M. Perera @isabelmperera.bsky.social · Jul 2

Huge thanks to @marielylopezs.bsky.social , Sheri Berman, @markblyth.bsky.social , Sara Watson, and @pculpepper.bsky.social for mentoring, as well as Abby Lewis and Nathália Nascimento for making sure the event ran smoothly.

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Isabel M. Perera @isabelmperera.bsky.social · Jul 2

Keep your eyes peeled for excellent new work by Angie Jo, @ceciliaivardi.bsky.social, @prhj.bsky.social, @danieltroberts.com, and Anna Stallings, our participants.

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Isabel M. Perera @isabelmperera.bsky.social · Jul 2

The @ces-europe.bsky.social Political Economy and Welfare Network was thrilled to inaugurate its Early Career Workshop at our meeting last week 🎉🙌

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Catherine E. de Vries @catherinedevries.bsky.social · Jun 27

For those interested in EUropean politics June 2026 is going to be fab.

Please consider going to Council for European Studies conference in Dublin 16-18 June 2026,

& then on to @epssnet.bsky.social conference in Belfast 18-20 June.

@karendublin.bsky.social & I will be joining you!

Karen Anderson @karendublin.bsky.social · Jun 27

Congrats to EPSS! Lots of opportunities to attend the Council for European Studies conference at UCD in Dublin (16-18 June 2026) before the EPSS -- CES is interdisciplinary with lots of top-notch polsci research on European/EU politics. ces-europe.bsky.social

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Karen Anderson @karendublin.bsky.social · Jun 27

Scenes from the Council for European Studies conference in Philly, at #Temple University. Fantastic presentations and lots of fun making new contacts and hanging out with old friends. @ofioretos.bsky.social @ces-europe.bsky.social @dalriada77.bsky.social ‪@maxinedavid.bsky.social‬

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Reposted by Isabel M. Perera

Andrew S. Kelly @askellyphd.bsky.social · May 5

How do you teach health care policy in 2025 and end your class on a positive note (or at least some sense of optimism)?

I might actually go with growth and apparent sustainability of Medicaid.

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Isabel M. Perera @isabelmperera.bsky.social · May 6

The White Paper projects are back!

This year’s winner? Prisha Agarwal, Sepehra Azami, & Anna Cecilia Fierro’s powerful campaign to improve the #H2AVisa program for farm workers — a timely & important project that highlights the original @cornelluniversity.bsky.social values.

Isabel M. Perera @isabelmperera.bsky.social · Apr 28

Huge thanks to the Hangs for performing in CPP today! Get your tickets for their May 6 concert at www.hangovers.com

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Isabel M. Perera @isabelmperera.bsky.social · Apr 6

It was huge honor to visit @unevadareno.bsky.social. This place is really special. My thanks to @ianmhartshorn.com and colleagues for nurturing a superior intellectual environment—and then inviting me to participate in it!

Ian M Hartshorn @ianmhartshorn.com · Apr 3

We’re probably going to have some austerity on campus after the next budget so I was *really* happy we got to bring in my friend and colleague @isabelmperera.bsky.social for a great public talk and guest visit to my political economy class. Her new book is great and open access!

Isabel M. Perera @isabelmperera.bsky.social · Apr 1

Heading to you now, @ianmhartshorn.com ! Thanks so much for having me. This Ithacan won’t be fazed by the snow :)

Ian M Hartshorn @ianmhartshorn.com · Mar 28

I'm very happy to be hosting my friend, the great and the good @isabelmperera.bsky.social at UNR next week to discuss her new book!

Isabel M. Perera @isabelmperera.bsky.social · Apr 1

Thank you, @bpetrova.bsky.social and @ttu.edu for inviting me to share the project with you. What a great community and thoughtful discussion!

Bilyana Petrova @bpetrova.bsky.social · Mar 31

Very happy to welcome @isabelmperera.bsky.social to @ttu.edu to hear her present her CUP book The Welfare Workforce.

It's an incredibly timely and important book that makes a valuable contribution to existing scholarship on social policy and mental health care.

www.cambridge.org/core/books/w...

The Welfare Workforce

Cambridge Core - Sociology of Science and Medicine - The Welfare Workforce

www.cambridge.org

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Reposted by Isabel M. Perera

World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · Feb 28

Have a listen to the audio Abstract of "Why States Do and Do Not Privatize," by Isabel Perera and Trevor Brown. #privatization #government #coalitions #laborunions @isabelmperera.bsky.social on.soundcloud.com/mt5bYXrFUpWD...

Visualization of sound waves, by Amanda.yuu, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

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Isabel M. Perera @isabelmperera.bsky.social · Feb 24

Thanks, Storied Teller, for profiling our work!

For an interview on our @worldpolitics.bsky.social article:

World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · Feb 20

How do manager-worker coalitions act as the most powerful antidote to privatization? January @worldpolitics.bsky.social authors Isabel Perera and Trevor Brown answer this and more in The Storied Teller. @isabelmperera.bsky.social @cornelluniversity.bsky.social wpj.princeton.edu/storied-tell...

Union Made

In the January 2025 (Volume 77, Number 1) issue of World Politics, Cornell University Department of Government scholars, Isabel M. Perera, an assistant professor, and Trevor Brown, a Ph.D. candidate, ...

wpj.princeton.edu

Isabel M. Perera @isabelmperera.bsky.social · Feb 24

Worried about the privatization of public services ? 👀 Wondering what might PREVENT it ??

Check out our article in @worldpolitics.bsky.social for a theory on the role of public employees.

(Also great for train buffs 🙌🚊)

World Politics @worldpolitics.bsky.social · Feb 18

Can labor and management coalitions affect the privatization of public services? @isabelmperera.bsky.social & Trevor Brown argue that they do through the study of passenger rail in their January @worldpolitics.bsky.social article. #privatization #government muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/articl...

Isabel M. Perera @isabelmperera.bsky.social · Feb 24

Thank you, @ces-europe.bsky.social !!

Council for European Studies @ces-europe.bsky.social · Feb 21

Congratulations to CES Executive Committee Member
@isabelmperera.bsky.social, Assistant Professor in the Department of Government at Cornell, for the publication of her first book, The Welfare Workforce: How Mental Health Care Varies Across Affluent Democracies. bit.ly/TheWelfareWo...

Isabel M. Perera @isabelmperera.bsky.social · Feb 6

Ch 7 discusses the implications for both welfare state scholarship and mental health policy. Lots of complexities to unpack, especially as the welfare workforce continues to evolve (see the Postscript). Kudos to 🇳🇴 for modeling a coalitional way forward. 11/11

Isabel M. Perera @isabelmperera.bsky.social · Feb 6

Ch 6 tests the generalizability of the argument in two Scandinavian countries. Despite their similarities, Sweden's supply of mental health care is significantly lower than that of Norway. The welfare workforce argument helps to explain why. 10/11

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Isabel M. Perera @isabelmperera.bsky.social · Feb 6

The lack of coalition in the US made it hard to build mental health care after WWII (Ch 4); its presence in France produced the opposite result (Ch 5). Check out the previously untapped archival data & process-tracing tables here 🧐 @afscme.bsky.social @cfdt.fr @cgt.fr 9/11

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Isabel M. Perera @isabelmperera.bsky.social · Feb 6

Ch 3 shows that the US and French mental health systems were surprisingly similar before the critical juncture of WWII, except for one factor: the ability of managers and workers to form coalitions. Also an economic re-reading of the history of psychiatry 👀 8/11

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