行政区划调整对区域发展的影响尚缺少系统的理论解释和方法测度。为了深入地探究行政区划设置和调整对区域经济发展的影响机理，本文提出并界定了政区位势理论，构建了政区位势的测度模型，并以重庆市为例进行了实证检验。研究认为：① 政区位势是由位能（行政区地域生产要素的配置能力）和势能（行政管理体制和行政级别的竞争力）构成的概念，行政区划调整可以改变一个地区的政区位势，从而改变其发展的动力和路径；② 由土地管辖权、人力资本水平、固定资产投资能力、财政分权度和行政分权度等变量构成的重庆市政区位势测度模型可以反映重庆市行政区划调整给其政区位势带来的变化；③ 实证检验得出政区位势提升对地方经济绩效提高有显著的正向影响；④ 科学合理地行政区划调整有助于该地区整合要素资源，优化行政管理幅度，提升其政区位势，进而拉动地方经济发展。政区位势理论和模型对于行政区划调整的区域效应具有较好的解释力，为各地区行政区划调整规划提供了新的分析视角，也可作为行政区划调整效应评估的实用方法。

There is a lack of basic theory and methods to examine the effect of administrativedivision (AD) on regional development. Based on the theory and practice of Chinese AD adjustments, this study defined the concept of administrative region potential (ARP) and developed a quantitative model to measure the ARP. Then, the model was validated using Chongqing as an empirical case. The results show that: (1) the ARP consists of energy of position (i.e., geographic space factors) and gravitational potential energy (i.e., administrative management system factors). Administrative division adjustment can change the ARP, thereby changing its path and driving force or regional  evelopment. (2) The ARP model of Chongqing city can objectively reflect the effects of administrative division adjustment events on Chongqing city. Specifically, the ARP includes variables of land jurisdiction, human capital level, fixed asset investment capacity, and administrative hierarchy of fiscal decentralization and administrative decentralization. (3) The ARP promotion has a significantly positive influence on the performance of local economic development in Chongqing city. (4) Reasonable AD adjustments will assist the region by integrating production elements and resources, enhancing the political power of the city, improving its ARP, and then promoting local economic development. The ARP model is proved to be an efficient method to understand and explain the regional effect of AD adjustment. It provides a new analytical perspective for the planning of AD adjustment in various regions, which can also be used as a practical method for assessing the effects of AD adjustment.