Connecticut

The southernmost state in New England, Connecticut is only the 30th most populous state with 3.5 million people; but with a population density of nearly 703 people per square mile, it is the fourth most densely populated state. It is also the third-richest state, with a median income of over $55,000 and the highest per capita incomes and Human Development Index rating. Both of these facts reflect southwestern Connecticut's relationship with New York City; three of Connecticut's eight counties are part of the New York City combined statistical area, home to many bedroom communities for New York commuters. Once an agriculturally oriented state, only about 12 percent of Connecticut is classified as rural. A powerful center of industry during the Industrial Revolution, modern-day Connecticut has become a center of the financial industry, especially hedge funds and insurance companies.

Connecticut's social networks have changed over time as well. Many towns are still arranged around a village green, of which Wethersfield Green is the oldest and Lebanon Green the largest. Around the green, [Page 164]colonial-era churches, town halls, and other buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries are arranged—some of them still serving their original function (especially in the case of churches), others converted to other uses or preserved as historical attractions. The green signifies the centrality of the town to early Connecticut social life and networks. The structure of Connecticut social and political networks has changed in other ways as well. By the end of the 20th century, county governments were eliminated in the state: county boundaries are relevant only to statistical reporting, such as in census and weather reports. A state marshal system has replaced the county sheriff departments, and trial courts are organized into judicial districts that essentially trace over county lines. But regional planning and activity coordination, instead of transpiring at the level of eight counties, now takes place in 15 planning regions overseen by the State of Connecticut Office of Planning and Management. Each region is administered by a regional government body, the specifics varying according to the region's needs.