This collection presents a comparative study on the emerging regional nature of local and urban politics in the United States. Recent studies have tended to focus on the politics and power of inner cities or on suburban areas which have gained incredible strength in the past decade. Regional Politics, however, explores how politics works in the extended metropolis which both includes and surrounds the urban core and whose economy, society and politics are integrally joined. Through detailed case studies of 10 cities in the US, the book: looks at the development of regional patterns; analyzes the impact regionalism has on urban politics; and outlines an overall approach.

INTRODUCTION
Regional Patterns in a Post City Era - H V Savitch and Ronald K Vogel
PART ONE: AVOIDANCE AND CONFLICT
New York - Bruce Berg and Paul Kantor
The Politics of Conflict and Avoidance
Los Angeles - Alan L Saltzstein
Politics without Governance
St Louis - Donald Phares and Claude Louishomme
A Politically Fragmented Area
PART TWO: MUTUAL ADJUSTMENT
Washington DC - Jeffrey Henig, David Brunori and Mark Ebert
Cautions and Constrained Cooperation
Louisville - H V Savitch and Ronald K Vogel
Compacts and Antagonistic Cooperation
Pittsburgh - Louise Jezierski
Partnerships in a Regional City
PART THREE: METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT
Miami - Genie Stowers
Experiences in Regional Government
Minneapolis-St Paul - John J Harrigan
Structuring Metropolitan Government
Jacksonville - Bert Swanson
Consolidation and Regional Governance
Portland - Arthur C Nelson
The Metropolitan Umbrella
PART FOUR: CONCLUSION
Perspectives for the Present and Lessons for the Future - H V Savitch and Ronald K Vogel