Nova Caesarea Delenda Est
A Barrel Tapped at Both Ends
The Partition of New Jersey
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Description
This scenario entails the following changes:
1
New York State renames itself to Hudson. Hudson allows the portions of the New York City metropolitan area that lie within it to secede as New York State, which inherits Hudson&a;s constitution and laws.*
*
If the Poughkeepsie metropolitan area were added to New York State, the New York–Hudson boundary could be made more geographically pleasing by being adjusted to run along the Delaware and Hudson Canal and the Roeliff Jansen Kill. As presented here, however, this scenario removes only the New York City metropolitan area from Albany&a;s control, since including more metropolitan areas than absolutely necessary in the new states has no obvious stopping point.
2
New York State annexes the portions of the New York City metropolitan area that lie within New Jersey, plus Mercer County and Warren County, NJ.* It also allows Richmond County (Staten Island Borough) to leave, and Hudson County to join, New York City.**
*
Mercer County isn&a;t part of New York City&a;s metropolitan statistical area, but is part of New York City&a;s combined statistical area, and is not part of Philadelphia&a;s metropolitan or combined statistical area.
Warren County is part of the Allentown, PA, metropolitan area, and Pike County, PA, is part of the New York City metropolitan area. However, swapping those two counties across the Delaware River border wouldn&a;t look good on the map.
**
In terms of product per square mile (as of year 2020), the 153 counties that are considered in this scenario fall into four distinct tiers:
| Tier | log2(product($/a)/mi2) | Counties (boroughs) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 35.0 | New York (Manhattan), NY |
| 2 | 30.5–29.6 | Kings (Brooklyn), Hudson, Bronx, and Queens, NY, and Philadelphia, PA |
| 3 | 28.6–19.2 | All others except Hamilton, HU (146 in total) |
| 4 | 17.1 | Hamilton, HU |
These numbers show that Hudson County (1.1 billion $/ami2) belongs in New York City, and that Richmond County (Staten Island Borough; 0.31 billion $/ami2) does not.
(The three Hudson County municipalities that lie west of the Hackensack River could be ceded to Bergen County in order to make the boundary look better.)
3
Delaware renames itself to South Delaware. Pennsylvania allows the portions of the Philadelphia metropolitan area that lie within it to secede as Delaware, which inherits Pennsylvania&a;s constitution and laws.*
*
Cecil County, MD, is part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area. However, splitting Maryland into two separate pieces would be dumb.
Kent County, South Delaware, is part of the Salisbury, MD, metropolitan area. As presented here, however, this scenario involves only DE, PA, NJ, and NY, since involving Maryland, Columbia, and Virginia would make it significantly more complicated.
4
Delaware annexes South Delaware and the remainder of New Jersey.*
*
Given the national importance of South Delaware&a;s corporate laws, it may be desirable for Delaware to adopt those laws, or at least grandfather in entities that were incorporated under them.
Results
After the dust has settled, the statistics (as of 2020) are as follows:
| Entity | Product | Product/ | Income | Income/ | Population | Population/ | Land |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York State | 1.9 trillion $/a | 0.28 billion $/ami2 | 1.6 trillion $/a | 78 000 $/aperson | 21 million | 3 100 per mi2 | 6 700 mi2 |
| New York City | 1.1 trillion $/a | 3.6 billion $/ami2 | 0.7 trillion $/a | 77 000 $/aperson | 9.0 million | 31 000 per mi2 | 290 mi2 |
| Delaware | 0.48 trillion $/a | 0.068 billion $/ami2 | 0.47 trillion $/a | 66 000 $/aperson | 7.1 million | 1 000 per mi2 | 7 100 mi2 |
| Philadelphia | 0.11 trillion $/a | 0.81 billion $/ami2 | 0.093 trillion $/a | 58 000 $/aperson | 1.6 million | 12 000 per mi2 | 130 mi2 |
| Pennsylvania | 0.47 trillion $/a | 0.011 billion $/ami2 | 0.48 trillion $/a | 55 000 $/aperson | 8.8 million | 210 per mi2 | 43 000 mi2 |
| Hudson | 0.39 trillion $/a | 0.008 7 billion $/ami2 | 0.38 trillion $/a | 54 000 $/aperson | 7.0 million | 160 per mi2 | 45 000 mi2 |
| Entity | Product (trillions of $/a) | Product/ |
Income (trillions of $/a) | Income/ |
Population (millions) | Population/ |
Land (thousands of mi2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York State | 1.9 | 0.28 | 1.6 | 78 | 21 | 3.1 | 6.7 |
| New York City | 1.1 | 3.6 | 0.7 | 77 | 9.0 | 31 | 0.29 |
| Delaware | 0.48 | 0.068 | 0.47 | 66 | 7.1 | 1.0 | 7.1 |
| Philadelphia | 0.11 | 0.81 | 0.093 | 58 | 1.6 | 12 | 0.13 |
| Pennsylvania | 0.47 | 0.011 | 0.48 | 55 | 8.8 | 0.21 | 43 |
| Hudson | 0.39 | 0.008 7 | 0.38 | 54 | 7.0 | 0.16 | 45 |
Because the new states are more homogenous, their inhabitants can pursue their respective political aims with significantly less urban–rural tension.
Additionally, this realignment reduces the administrative overhead that is caused by the movement of commuters across state lines. The number of people having to file dual income&h;tax returns is vastly reduced*, and the following interstate&h;compact organizations are rendered mostly or entirely obsolete:
The Delaware River and Bay Authority (absorbed into Delaware)
The Delaware River Port Authority (absorbed into Delaware)
The Palisades Interstate Park Commission (absorbed into New York)
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (absorbed into New York)
The Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor (absorbed into New York)
*
The specific statistics are available, but the delineations of metropolitan and combined statistical areas already are based on them, so I haven&a;t bothered to actually check them.