Political Commentary & Opinion
Analysis, commentary, and opinion essays on politics and policy from The Daily Signal’s contributors and experts.
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opinion
Christians Are Called to Political Engagement
This is an adapted excerpt from Gary Meredith’s recent book “Bibles and Ballots: Ten Biblical Reasons Christians Must Engage in Politics,” released July 11 from Gramercy Press. “Do not add to his words, or He will rebuke you and prove you a liar.” (Proverbs 30:6) The whole Bible encourages and equips Christians for political involvement. Not one verse… -
opinion
What Conservative Columnist Could Freely Write for The New York Times?
The Left’s perennial scolds of CBS News churned out barrels of umbrage over hiring conservative New York Times columnist Ross Douthat as part of the new team of correspondents at “60 Minutes.” They suggested this was some sort of “desperate” lurch to the right, an obstreperous overthrow of Pelleyesque arrogance on 57th Street. But that created a… -
opinion
Climate Crisis?
Just two years ago, the United Nations secretary general announced, “Global warming has ended … The era of global boiling has arrived!” “[We were] warned about this,” said a “Daily Show” host, “by every scientist for the last 50 years!” His audience applauded. Wow. Every scientist agreed! But here’s the thing. They didn’t. My new video covers how many of the scaremongers’… -
opinion
Family Should Never Become a Political Battleground
There are some disputes that belong in a courtroom. Others belong around a family table. Very few belong in the court of public opinion. When family conflicts involving public figures spill into headlines, cable television, and social media, the public often assumes it is witnessing a search for truth. More often, it is witnessing only fragments of a much larger story. Allegations, counter-allegations, selective leaks, and emotionally… -
opinion
Victor Davis Hanson: Is ‘Communist’ No Longer a Slur?
It is not difficult, these days, to see the neo-communist flipside of “democratic socialists”—once they find power. Indeed, the more the ossified Democratic Party claims that its growing cadre of socialist renegades are not really socialists, the more they act like—and even appear comfortable being called—communists. With every new policy they propose, the socialists have… -
opinion
The Value and Virtues of Free Enterprise
Socialism is on the rise, and capitalism is on its back foot. The implications span all parts of our society but certainly include corporate governance. As is often the case, the corporate governance issue boils down to who makes decisions, and to what end those decisions are—and should be—aimed. Should corporations strive solely to maximize shareholder value?… -
opinion
Time for a Renaissance of American Public Service
America has no shortage of critics. What it increasingly lacks are American citizens willing to step forward and serve. A republic cannot survive indefinitely as a spectator sport, with millions of people shouting from the sidelines while expecting someone else to defend the country, administer justice, strengthen the community, and preserve the institutions on which freedom depends. Self-government requires… -
opinion
How Pittsburgh Became the Early Alarm Bell for the DSA’s Rise
PITTSBURGH—The rise of the Democrat Left in Pittsburgh did not happen overnight. It was built over years through patient organizing, disciplined recruiting, and a clear-eyed focus on the races that mattered most: low-turnout primaries where entrenched power was vulnerable. Mik Pappas’ 2017 race for Pennsylvania’s 31st Magisterial District judge offered an early hint that the… -
opinion
Pope Leo, AI, and Just War Theory
Pope Leo XIV’s “Magnifica Humanitas” warns that just war theory has too often been used to justify any kind of war and, in light of modern weapons and artificial intelligence, may be outdated. But is he correct? From Homer’s “Iliad” to our own constitutional order, civilization has understood that war is never morally self-authenticating. The… -
opinion
As Congress Works to Protect College Sports, Women Shouldn’t Pay the Price
When a piece of legislation includes the word “protect” in its title, most people assume it does what it says. But after years of fighting for fairness in women’s athletics—on the track, in the courtroom, and all the way to the Supreme Court—I’ve learned to read the fine print. The Protect College Sports Act as… -
opinion
The Unspoken Young Men Crisis: AI Girlfriends
Large-language models and artificial intelligence chatbots are changing how we approach work, leisure, relationships, and our very understanding of humanity. And now, AI companionship bots threaten to neuter an entire generation of young men. America’s young men are adrift on a rudderless ship. Today, many of them are denied moral formation, lack authentic masculine role… -
opinion
Anthony Fauci Held in Contempt of Senate Committee: Now What?
Now that the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has voted along party lines to hold Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress, the inevitable question is: What happens next? The answer is both straightforward and complicated. The statute is clear; the politics are not. And the history of contempt referrals teaches a familiar Washington… -
opinion
Conservative College Students Need Courage
It was freshman year at my small liberal arts college. I walked into my social psychology class and was immediately asked to share my “preferred pronouns.” I was appalled by the question. “Do I not look like a girl?” I thought to myself. I hoped that would be the most uncomfortable part of my first semester; I was blissfully unaware that I would soon spend three weeks trying to “unlearn my whiteness.” Growing up in a small, rural town in Pennsylvania, I had… -
opinion
Tipping the Scales: How Washington Pays Megafarms to Beat Family Farms
With food prices on the rise and Americans reassessing their monthly food budgets, the Senate Agriculture Committee is set to mark up the farm bill today. Packed with agriculture subsidies originating during the Great Depression, the farm bill has been informed by a belief that these subsidies “save the struggling family farm,” but the facts… -
opinion
Japan’s Shifting National Security Strategy—and America’s Role in It
For decades after World War II, Japan maintained a defense policy shaped by pacifism and strict restrictions on the use of military force. That era is coming to an end, and the United States should embrace that change as Japan faces an increasingly dangerous security environment. China has dramatically expanded its military capabilities while becoming… -
opinion
Franco-German Cooperation on Nuclear Deterrence Is a Good Sign
On July 17, the leaders of France and Germany announced that Germany would be participating in a French nuclear exercise later this year. The exercise, titled Poker, is a recurring part of France’s nuclear operations and is a full-scale rehearsal of France’s airborne nuclear capabilities. The announcement at the Franco-German Defense and Security Council at… -
opinion
Mamdani Backtracks on IDs for Marxist Marts
New York City’s Democratic Socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani is on a crusade for government control in his latest push for government-run grocery stores. Such stores have been attempted and failed before, and no amount of government subsidization will change the fact that these Marxist Marts are a taxpayer-financed disaster. Like any public program, they will… -
opinion
The Hidden Health Risk in College Dorms
Every student knows the smell. The musty odor from an air vent. The dark stain spreading across a dorm ceiling. The damp corner of a communal bathroom. Most students barely notice it. Others joke about it. What many do not realize is that mold is more than an ugly stain or an unpleasant odor. Federal… -
opinion
4th Circuit Ducked the Real Question in Pronoun Case
A Maryland school district can order a substitute teacher to use a student’s chosen pronouns and, according to the same policy, forbid her from telling that student’s parents. Kimberly Polk sued Montgomery County Public Schools over that combination, and in January the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against her, 2-1. The panel’s reasoning… -
opinion
2 Ways to Fix Inflation
Housing affordability is awful, and it looks set to get worse. Unless, of course, we take corrective action, especially on immigration and war. Here’s the harsh current reality: Inflation continues to bedevil far too many Americans. Other than owners of substantial assets, wage earners have struggled in this economy for five years, ever since the…