The Separation of Powers Institute (SPI) intends to promote scholarship, student-geared programming, and educational initiatives that examine the federal constitutional structure—with an emphasis on a historical understanding of the role of divided power in the preservation of “justice,” the “general welfare,” and “the blessings of liberty.” SPI will serve as a hub of academic research and debate on legal and constitutional questions related to the role of the three federal branches of government and the allocation of their role and functions within the federal constitutional system.

SPI was founded to serve as a leading voice in the nation’s capital in the study of foundational principles underlying constitutional constraints impacting the federal government in relation to states, local governments, private citizens, and community institutions. SPI will sit at the intersection of the development of legal theory and practice addressing the constitutional scope of executive branch operations in relation to Congress and the judiciary and practical examination of contemporary operations of administrative agencies.