The Separation of Powers Institute (SPI) promotes and hosts scholarship, student programs, 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.

In June 2024, the Institute founded the Separation of Powers Clinic at Catholic Law. The clinic will provide practical instruction to students studying the constitutional allocation of power among the three federal branches of government, states and local governments, and private institutions. The clinic files briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court and appellate courts throughout the country and is directed by adjunct professors Trent McCotter and Harry Graver, under the supervision of Professor Mascott.

The Institute also hosts the Article I briefing series for policymakers and lawyers that Professor Mascott developed in 2022 with former Assistant Attorney General Steve Engel. The series examines the structural division of constitutional authority between Congress and the Executive Branch in areas like reg reform, oversight, national security, foreign affairs, spending and emergency power, and administrative agency structure.