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What does it take to keep a republic?


Citizens formed by serious civic education. Scholars willing to confront the hardest constitutional questions. Institutions committed to rigorous, open engagement. FLAG is the University of Utah’s commitment to all three.

The Federalism, Law, and American Governance Initiative brings together faculty, students, and public leaders to study the constitutional structures, democratic institutions, and civic traditions that sustain American self-government.

What FLAG Does


Coordinate
Connect faculty, centers, and programs across the university around shared themes in governance, constitutionalism, and civic leadership.
Convene
Host public lectures, debates, and events that bring together scholars, students, judges, policymakers, and national leaders for substantive engagement with the American constitutional tradition.
Connect
Extend the reach of university-based work by engaging alumni, public audiences, and external partners in constitutional dialogue.
Cultivate
Support the next generation of scholarship and teaching through faculty grants, visiting scholars, and collaborative opportunities.

What’s Coming


FLAG is building toward an ambitious inaugural year. In the months ahead, look for a public speaker series featuring leading voices in constitutional law and governance, a research grant program, and a growing network of university-wide affiliates. Stay connected as the initiative takes shape.

About


American self-government rests on foundations that are worth understanding deeply: a written Constitution, a federal structure that divides power between national and state governments, the rule of law, and a tradition of civic participation that asks something of every generation.

The Federalism, Law, and American Governance Initiative is built on the conviction that universities have a responsibility to tend those foundations by creating space for serious inquiry, open debate, and genuine intellectual engagement with the principles and institutions that shape American life.

Building on important work already underway across the university, FLAG strengthens education, supports scholarship, and expands public dialogue around the principles and institutions that shape American self-government. As the nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, FLAG aims to help position the University of Utah as a leading forum for serious engagement with the American constitutional tradition.

Areas of Impact


Education
Strengthen teaching on constitutional government, civic leadership, and the history and theory of American institutions.
Research
Support faculty scholarship on federalism, the rule of law, constitutional structure, and the principles of American governance through grants, visiting scholars, and collaborative opportunities.
Public Engagement
Convene lectures, debates, symposia, and public conversations that bring university-based thinking into broader civic dialogue.
Campus Collaboration
Identify, connect, and amplify work already happening across the University of Utah.