ABSTRACT
This chapter reflects on regional governing and outlining the significance of Regional Intergovernmental Organizations (RIGOs) on the American political landscape. Regions are difficult to govern – coordinating policies across local jurisdictional boundaries in the absence of a formal regional government gives rise to enormous challenges. The chapter addresses the local capacity issues related to regional externalities to transfer the direct performance of an urban function to an executive agency of the state. Annexation is the absorption of mostly unincorporated territory typically into a central city. This is a useful solution to regional issues as it aims to harmonize political boundaries with functional spaces and/or to internalize vexing externalities. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book. It focuses on the general state and federal policy milieu and the rules and regulations governing the creation of cross-boundary organizations more generally, and RIGOs in particular.
