REGIONALISM AND REPRESENTATION - MEASURING AND ASSESSING REPRESENTATION IN METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATIONS

Despite renewed interest in metropolitan governance, little attention has been given to issues of representation by regional governing entit ies. Many regional bodies operate under an arrangement whereby each lo cal government receives an equal vote-systematically underrepresenting large jurisdictions and unincorporated areas. The author describes an index to measure the (dis)proportionality of representation on the go verning boards of regional institutions. Applying the index to metropo litan planning organizations in California, lie finds that most have a substantially skewed representational structure. Such patterns nay vi olate constitutional guarantees of equal protection, given the enhance d policy-making role of metropolitan planning organizations under rece nt federal transportation law.