Redefinition Of Economic Regions In The U.S.
The paper groups states into regions based not on a broad set of socioeconomic
characteristics but on the similarities in their business cycles. Having grouped the states into regions, the author determines the relative strength of cohesion among the states in the various regions and compares those regions with the BEA regions.
Link
http://www.phil.frb.org/files/wps/2004/wp04-12.pdf