On Jan. 26, the University of Utah announced that it would move forward with a “new presidential initiative on federalism.” Inspired by the 250th birthday of the United States, this new framework situates the university’s work within the context of federalism, law and American governance.
U President Taylor Randall headed the initiative on American federalism, working on it since June of 2025. In the statement, the U said this was intended to “complement existing academic units.” On the board for the initiative includes former West Virginia University President Gordon Gee and former Harvard Kennedy School Professor Arthur C. Brooks, who will both serve as inaugural external advisors.
In the works
Two U law professors, Paul Cassell and Jason Iuliano, serve as the initiative’s co-directors. Their main role is to focus on the scholarly agenda, coordinate research and plan activities for engagement.
Paul Cassell, professor at the S.J. Quinney College of Law and co-director of the initiative, talked to the Chronicle about his hopes for the program. “We’re going to be looking to reach out across campus to try to strengthen the University of Utah’s offerings in the area of federalism and American institutions,” he said.
Cassell explained that one of the main reasons the U decided to move forward with the initiative was to promote debate and discussion on campus. He aims to collect resources for the campus community that can lead to widespread understanding of American governance.
In terms of those resources, Cassell said that the specifics are still up for discussion. The board will consult with stakeholders both on and off campus to determine what the U can do to promote education on federalism.
Jason Iuliano, professor at the S.J. Quinney College of Law, said there is a “world of possibilities” for the program. “We want to hear from across campus what would be the most beneficial to them coming out of a federalism initiative.”
Stakeholders and public input
In an interview with the Chronicle, Iuliano said that the board is excited to receive input from the public. There are three different stakeholder groups that the board will reach out to: faculty, staff and the public.
When it comes to specific goals of the project, one core desire the co-founders outlined is to build a respectful debate about political differences on campus. “I firmly believe that political debate in the country has changed for the worse over the past 250 years,” Iuliano said. “We want to try and bring back respectful debate that used to occur, where folks could firmly disagree on a political level, but still get along on a personal level and have those personal relationships.”
Both Cassell and Iuliano explained that as co-directors of the initiative, they expect a large amount of community and student engagement. To achieve that, they are planning mentorship and research opportunities created to engage students.
As the project develops, the next step will include listening sessions and discussions with groups on campus to determine where the initiative will be the most useful. Cassell said the U community can expect this to be a long-lasting process, with this as only the first step.
“I think in this time where there’s a lot of discussion about the proper role of the federal government, maybe this is a good chance to reassess what we currently have and see how we can improve it,” Cassell said.
b h | Feb 13, 2026 at 12:23 pm
250 years ago, when the “respectful debate that used to occur” happened, the only people at the table were white, male landowners. Of course the conversation was different.