Being a region in three states has important competitive advantages.
The three states that comprise the region have a total of six U.S. senators, and a congressional delegation drawn from Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas. Together they can work for federal funding of regional projects that benefit the environment, education, transportation, economic development, medical, research and cultural development of the region. Projects that benefit all three states within the region should be able to gain the support from a wider group of representatives than projects located in only one state. On the other hand, multiple state jurisdictions cause coordination problems that need addressing.

The metro area has fewer local jurisdictions than many Eastern U.S. metro areas.
The region lies in three states and two federal districts on either side of the Mississippi River. The metropolitan area has one principal county, four adjoining counties and only sixteen contiguous cities. Shelby County, the central county of the metro area, has only 7 municipalities. Other counties in the metro area have significant local spheres of influence. The fact that Memphis doesn't have as many local jurisdictions as other metros the same size, could make coordination among the region's municipalities and counties easier and common goals reachable.

The Mississippi River increases the complexity of the region.
The Mississippi River is a dividing line that runs through the center of the region. Traditionally, Arkansas faced west towards Texas and the Pacific, Mississippi looked south towards the Gulf, and Tennessee stood east towards the Atlantic. Therefore, while the traditional role of Memphis has been related to link the East and the West. The traditional orientation of the region's states sometimes caused divisions within the region. Territorial differences can hinder coordination of state activities in building regional strategies in education, environment, transportation and infrastructure required to compete in a global age.

The region is a jigsaw puzzle of jurisdictions.
The Memphis region is a jigsaw puzzle of overlapping federal, state and local jurisdictions and districts. Even though it comprises fewer governmental entities than other regions in the country, the divisions between the different governmental units still make coordination of regional policies, strategic planning, and investments difficult. Because government establishes the basic policy, planning and regulatory framework in which the private and institutional sectors make investments, regional coordination and cooperation is vital and imperative. By necessity, building a globally competitive region stems from government that effectively harnesses collective knowledge, resources, and power in a regional framework.

Recommendations

Create a Mid-South Congressional Caucus (federal, include three states).
Creating a formal organization (caucus) of federal representatives would provide local leadership with a platform for voicing their needs about the region's future. It would allow the region to speak with a single voice at the federal level and utilize the combined strength of the region's Senate and House members to secure federal funding for key development activities.

Create a Legislative Caucus (include three states).
An organization (caucus) of state representatives would provide local leadership with a platform for voicing their needs to each state's legislature. While each state would have a separate caucus, Tennessee's would be the largest. Such a caucus would make coordinating with the Arkansas and Mississippi state legislatures easier. A caucus would require developing a regional agenda and a strategic lobbying effort to approach Nashville, Jackson and Little Rock.

Create a Memphis Metro City/County organization.
Jurisdictional lines engender competition and conflict among the various governmental units adversely affecting the type of cooperation needed to achieve significant advances in the region. Use the framework developed in the Memphis regional project to help cities in the three-state metro pattern increase their understanding of their roles, functions and relationships. Establish better cooperation between units of government to facilitate public infrastructure.

Create a Memphis Regional Economic Forum
The three-state metro area forms the economic core of the region. It is therefore imperative that key economic issues are understood by political and institutional representatives from each part of the metro area. The wide range of policies, goals and objectives among the various levels of government represents a significant problem as metro and regional projects require common goals and objectives among multiple units of government. Coordination, both vertically and horizontally, among and between various units is necessary to cost-effectively and purposefully develop the regional future. An economic forum could serve as a platform for bringing together business, political and institutional leaders to discuss plans and take action on building the metro core. Building the regional future increasingly involves large-scale transportation, infrastructure, environmental, tourism and economic development projects that cross boundary lines. Without regional consensus, creating the type of broad public support for necessary investments will not be possible.