This article deals with the problems of coordination in federal countries. It begins with the premise that the public problems of the 21st century are issues without borders because they do not respect the geographical, jurisdictional, functional and temporal limits that in many ways have guided the study and practice of Public Administration. The emergence of this kind of problems has a significant impact on the making of policies, because one of the consequences of its transversal nature is the increase in interdependence among Public Administrations at different levels. From this it can be anticipated that coordination will be a critical issue for the functioning of federal systems. However, a type of coordination that can only come from a comprehensive approach typical of a State or country vision will be required.