Politics and Urban Development: The Case of the New York Region.

The article presents information about the politics and urban development in case of the New York region. The political system of the New York region shares a number of similarities with the political systems of many American metropolitan areas, although its tri-state expanse, historical background and other factors have yielded some unique characteristics. The region's political system--and that of any region or nation-state-can be viewed in terms of a continuum between a high degree of integration and a high degree of fragmentation. An integrated political system is one in which there is widespread agreement on the goals or values toward which the political system should be oriented, as well as on the roles of the various units in achieving these goals. A fragmented political system is one in which there is extensive disagreement on these questions. If one focuses on general values and roles, the political system of the New York region would appear to be relatively integrated. Certainly it is closer to the integration end of the continuum than the political systems of Weimar Germany, France during the Third and Fourth Republics, or contemporary Vietnam As is the case in most parts of the United States, a large majority of the residents of the region are in general agreement on the values which should be maximized by governmental policies.