This series spans the globe presenting leading research in economics. International applications and examples of economic progress are invaluable in a troubled world with economic booms bursting like so many penny balloons. Topics discussed include a comparative study of optimal taxation and inequality in the U.S. and Latin America; health economics and the cost effective analysis of liver transplantation; the role of taxation in healthcare; carbon futures and options markets in the EU; the local economy and cooperative movement in Greece and an economic evaluation of tax evasion.