American Economic Association Nashville, Tennessee 0022-0515 Journal of Economic Literature 39 3 September 2001 767767 The School-to-Work Transition: A Cross-National Perspective: Corrigendum PaulRyan http://www.aeaweb.org/journal/contents/September2001.html American Economic Association Nashville, Tennessee 0022-0515 Journal of Economic Literature 39 3 September 2001 771799 Promise and Pitfalls in the Use of "Secondary" Data-Sets: Income Inequality in OECD Countries As a Case Study Anthony B.AtkinsonAndreaBrandolini This paper examines the role of secondary data-sets in empirical economic research, taking the field of income distribution as a case study. We illustrate problems faced by users of "secondary" statistics, showing how both cross-country comparisons and time-series analysis can depend sensitively on the choice of data. After describing the genealogy of secondary data-sets on income inequality, we consider the main methodological issues and discuss their implications for comparisons of income inequality across OECD countries and over time. The lessons to be drawn for the construction and use of secondary data-sets are summarized at the end of the paper. http://www.aeaweb.org/journal/contents/September2001.html American Economic Association Nashville, Tennessee 0022-0515 Journal of Economic Literature 39 3 September 2001 800838 The Taxing Task of Taxing Transnationals Thomas A.Gresik Financial and real investment flexibility, tax competition, and superior economic information by transnationals both create a rationale for corporate income taxation and limit the effectiveness of such taxation. While these factors have led to a variety of transnational tax policies, such as deferral, double taxation, apportionment, and trade rules, very few of these institutional features have been integrated into tax competition and agency models. In this paper, I show how the integration of investment flexibility, tax competition, and agency issues is crucial to our understanding of corporate tax policies. http://www.aeaweb.org/journal/contents/September2001.html American Economic Association Nashville, Tennessee 0022-0515 Journal of Economic Literature 39 3 September 2001 839868 Official Intervention in the Foreign Exchange Market: Is It Effective and, If So, How Does It Work? LucioSarnoMark P.Taylor Our paper assesses progress made by the profession in understanding whether and how exchange rate intervention works. We review theory and evidence on official intervention, concentrating primarily on work published in the last decade or so. We conclude that, unlike the profession's consensus of the 1980s, official intervention can be effective, especially as a signal of policy intentions and when publicly announced and concerted. We note an apparent empirical puzzle concerning the secrecy of much intervention and suggest another way for intervention to be effective which has received little attention in the literature, namely by remedying a coordination failure in the foreign exchange market. http://www.aeaweb.org/journal/contents/September2001.html American Economic Association Nashville, Tennessee 0022-0515 Journal of Economic Literature 39 3 September 2001 869896 Economics of Alliances: The Lessons for Collective Action ToddSandlerKeithHartley This essay provides an up-to-date summary of the findings of the literature on the economics of alliances. We show that the study of the economics of alliances has played a pivotal role in understanding and applying public good analysis to real-world applications. We establish that the manner in which alliances address burden sharing and allocative issues is related to strategic doctrines, weapon technology, perceived threats, and membership composition. Past contributions are evaluated, and areas needing further development are identified. The theoretical and empirical knowledge gained from the study of alliances is shown to be directly applicable to a wide range of international collectives. http://www.aeaweb.org/journal/contents/September2001.html American Economic Association Nashville, Tennessee 0022-0515 Journal of Economic Literature 39 3 September 2001 897901 An Early Application of the Average Total Cost Concept F. M.Scherer http://www.aeaweb.org/journal/contents/September2001.html