LandesKantonsebene

LandesKantonsebene is a term used in political science to denote the governance level that operates between the state or land level and the cantonal level in federal systems where both exist alongside a central government and subnational units. The term combines Landes, referring to a state or land-level authority, and Kantonsebene, referring to cantonal administration, with Ebene meaning level or tier. It is primarily a descriptive framework rather than a formal administrative body.

In this framework, the LandesKantonsebene is concerned with how the two tiers interact to implement national policy, allocate resources, and address cross-cutting issues that affect both levels, such as education policy, health services, transportation, and regional planning. Competences are typically distributed by constitution or statute, with subsidiarity guiding which level holds responsibility for a given function. Intergovernmental mechanisms, including councils, joint commissions, and sharing of data and standards, support coordination and conflict resolution.

The concept is used in comparative federalism to analyze governance arrangements in countries where state-level authorities and cantons share sovereignty, or where regional cooperation is required for cross-border policy areas. It highlights governance challenges such as fiscal equalization, accountability, and policy harmonization, as well as opportunities for efficiencies through negotiated cooperation and joint implementation.

See also: Federalism, Intergovernmental relations, Cantons, Länder, Multi-level governance.