Most public universities in the United States are formed into systems, containing more than one university or campus. There are clear rationales for these systems, including overall planning and coordination, budgeting efficiency, and effectiveness of dealings with the state government. The distribution of internal governance functions between the system level and the individual-campus level has, however, been a source of continual tension for understandable reasons. Although there can be no hard and fast rules for the division of administrative functions between the system-wide level and the component campuses, a number of governance principles can be laid out. What is done in a particular instance should recognize commonalities and differences in mission among and within systems, the histories and the maturities of the campuses composing the system, state government constraints, governing board structures, and changing conditions, among other circumstances and needs.