The regional approach to government, a procedure also known as regionalization, has been suggested as a way of improving governmental efficiency and to make it possible for problems and issues that can be considered regional in scope to be addressed on a regional basis. America has been divided up into distinct jurisdictions over the course of its history, and though there is some overlap, we continue to think of political boundaries roughly corresponding to national, state, county, and local jurisdictions. More and more it is apparent that there are issues which cannot be solved if only one unit in a given region addresses that issue, and regionalization is an attempt to create a transjurisdictional solution to such problems. There are difficulties involved in regionalization, including resistance on the part of some of the jurisdictions involved and real technical and procedural problems that have to be overcome. One of the problems that crosses boundaries today is crime, and the question arises as to how effective a regional approach in the field of criminal justice could be. The intent would be to help eliminate the existing duplication of services and lack of coordination and cooperation between jurisdictions. It is not at all clear, however, that a regional approach would solve some of these issues or that it would be more efficient or effective.
One area considering this issue is known as the Capital Region, consisting of the New York cities of Albany, Schenectady, Troy, and environs. The first report on this proposed region was published in March of 1994, and various writers express their views of the issue and of the nature of the Capital Region and its problems. Then-Governor Mario M. Cuomo commends the efforts of the Key Bank Center for Regional Studies and notes that the purpose of the organization has been the same as his own--to find new ways to deliver better public services at less cost. Regionalization em...