Models which estimate influenza mortality probably overestimate this mortality because their baseline estimates include only nonepidemic weeks. We present a stochastic frontier estimation model which better reflects influenza mortality.

This paper presents data from experiments with a linear voluntary contributions mechanism for public goods conducted in Japan, the Netherlands, Spain and the USA. The same experimental design was used in the four countries.

This paper analyzes the revenue-constrained optimum tariff problem. When a fixed level of tax revenue has to be collected only from tariffs, an efficient resource allocation can not be achieved by any tariff structure. Thus we need to find the optimum tariff structure as the second best resource...

In this paper, we conduct a U.S.- Japan comparison of the importance of retirement saving and of the determinants thereof using micro data from the "U.S.- Japan Comparison Survey of Saving," a binational household survey conducted in 1996 by the Institute for Posts and Telecommunications Policy...

We examine auction data to determine if bid rigging presents in procurement auctions for paving works in Ibaraki City, Osaka, Japan. We first show that sporadic bidding wars are caused by the participation of potential "outsiders." Assuming that the ring is all-inclusive if the auction is not...