ABSTRACT

"Truly," states a recent text on metropolitan affairs, "the metropolis is the crossroads of intergovernmental relations." 1 This chapter attempts to explore some questions about these relations, rather than to provide "answers" or "solutions" to intergovernmental "problems". Many of the "answers", which range from "one big city" through metropolitan federation and on to special districts, service contracts, voluntary cooperation and the like, have been elaborated upon already in chapters 9 and 10. Here, we consider in general terms what purposes are served by the existing relations among governments in metropolitan areas. What values, whether of liberty, participation or efficiency do these relations promote in fancy or in fact? Do they tend to advance the ends of particular interests at the expense of others? To what extent do the known "remedies" to intergovernmental "problems" promote certain values or ends as opposed to others or involve trade-offs among these values and ends? These are big questions and, worse still, elusive ones.