Abusus Non Tollit Usum: Standardized Coefficients, Correlations, and R 2 s

In a withering critique of statistical praxis, Gary King (1986) has recently warned modelers off standardized regression coefficients, bivariate correlations, and coefficients of determination (R2s). Without denying that these particular statistics are frequently abused (and without taking issue with any of King's other admonitions), I want to argue here that they are not therefore useless-and, in the process, to sketch their legitimate uses.