Revolutionizing Regionalism: From Special-Purpose to Multipurpose Governance

In the United States, states create general-purpose governments, such as cities, towns, and counties, to provide a multiplicity of public services. States also rely upon special-purpose governments, also called districts and public authorities, to undertake a specific governmental function when local general-purpose governments lack the geographical flexibility, the legal authority, or the financial resources to provide it. The 2022 United States Census of Governments reports that the 39,555 special-purpose governments, excluding the 12,546 school districts, now outnumber the 35,705 general-purpose governments. After discussing the characteristics and drawbacks of special-purpose governments, this Article argues that states should replace them in favor of multipurpose regional governments. Unlike a single-function, special-purpose government, a public body empowered to undertake multiple functions throughout a regionally scaled area would integrate planning and alleviate the difficulty of coordinating with all local governmental entities operating within it. A combined, regional body with fiscal powers and attendant political capital greatly improves the country’s environmental protection, economic growth, and equitable delivery of services. Only a regional government, hydrologically based and covering both urban and rural areas, possesses the capacity to manage the natural and built environments in a sustainable manner. The Article foresees several pathways for a more robust regionalism through regional agencies’ multifunctional planning, special-purpose government consolidations, joint power authorities with strong multifunctional performances, and the response to cataclysmic events.