摘要：The research reported in this article constitutes an earlyeffort to see whether preexisting data from several statestudies can be made enough alike to permit valid com-parisons among state programs. It also reveals some ofthe difficulties confronting those who undertake the ef-fort. Our aim was to develop a common set of analyses ofthe patterns of public benefits and earnings in threestates, New Jersey, Washington, and Wisconsin, usingadministrative and survey data on those who have leftwelfare and those who have stayed
