Regional Scientists and Regional Identity

I would like to begin my remarks by paying tribute to that unknown (at least to me) person who coined the term “regionalism,” and a family of related terms, to refer to studies, analyses, policies, programs and problems relating to sub-national geographical areas and the social, economic and political entities, attitudes and relationships associated therewith. “Regionalism” is a much more attractive label than “sectionalism,” the term that historians and others applied to the conflicting geographical interests and attitudes, and to the resulting public policy conflicts and disputes, throughout all of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. The label may not sell the product, but it certainly has a major influence on the extent to which people take time to test it.