Joining two political units, such as
municipalities,
counties, or
cities into one entity is referred to as Amalgamation when the process occurs within a sovereign entity. In United States politics, such an entity may be called a
consolidated city-county. A common cause is unbalanced growth or outward expansion of either one has necessitated an administrative decision to merge the two; in some cases, common perception of continuity may be a factor in prompting such a process. Some cities (see below) that have gone though amalgamation or a similar process feature several administrative sub-divisions or jurisdictions, each with a separate
person in charge.
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