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
Learning the Lessons of Black History
Why do we need Black History Month? Why don’t we set aside special occasions to observe the history of other ethnicities in our country? My answer to this question is that black history tells a uniquely important story in our nation. It is a story that no other race or ethnicity shares. It is a…Star Parker -
- Opinion
Clinton’s Campaign, Its High-Tech Allies, and Political Espionage
With the latest filing by special counsel John Durham, a chilling story continues to unfold even though most mainstream media outlets are downplaying it. The story: A presidential campaign quite possibly used its allies in the tech sector to engage in political espionage—not just against the opposition candidate, but against a sitting president. The underhanded…Hans von Spakovsky -
- Opinion
What Are Our Children Being Taught? States Move Toward Curriculum ‘Transparency’
The COVID-19 pandemic revealed disturbing trends about how critical race theory and LGBT indoctrination were being promulgated in schools. Parents, infuriated that their kids are being brainwashed, went to school board meetings to express their discontent. Now, some educators are attempting to hide their lesson plans from parents who would take issue with them. But…Douglas Blair -
- Opinion
Violence Against Women Act Is Back, but It’s Still No Better. Here Are Its 5 Biggest Flaws.
The Violence Against Women Act is once again up for debate and a vote in the Senate. The previous iteration of the bill failed last year, having stalled in the Senate after complaints concerning the bill’s handgun restrictions, carve-outs for LGBTQ groups, stealth “gender identity” inclusions, and the constitutionally prohibited expansion of the jurisdiction of…Sarah Parshall Perry -
- Opinion
Arizona Legislators Propose Communist-Style ‘Community Schools’
A 20th-century Russian communist said: “Children, like soft wax, are very malleable. …We must rescue children from the harmful influence of the family. … From the earliest days of their little lives, they must find themselves under the beneficent influence of communist schools. … To oblige the mother to give her child to the Soviet…Kimberly Ells -
- Opinion
We Hear You: What’s Happening to Law and Order
Editor's note: The Daily Signal's coverage of the crime spike across the nation, and the role of do-nothing prosecutors, sparked a response from readers. We begin with that issue in this week's dip into the mailbag at [email protected].—Ken McIntyre Dear Daily Signal: Thanks for the commentary article by Cully Stimson and Zack Smith about Manhattan…Ken McIntyre -
- News
With Future of Roe v. Wade Unknown, Pennsylvania in Battle for Unborn
A battle is raging in Pennsylvania for the lives of unborn babies. If laws aren’t in place to protect the unborn, “we could actually end up in a world where abortion is more extreme in Pennsylvania” should the Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade, Jeremy Samek, senior counsel for Pennsylvania Family Institute, told The Daily…Virginia Allen -
- Opinion
NYC’s New Law Letting Foreign Citizens Vote Is Unconstitutional. I’m Suing to Kill It.
NEW YORK — I recently was delighted to sue New York City’s Board of Elections. In conjunction with the Public Interest Legal Foundation, co-plaintiffs Phyllis Coachman, Anthony Gilhuys, Katherine James, and I filed suit in New York Supreme Court on Feb. 2. We aim to overturn City Charter Chapter 46-A, which our litigation dubs “the…Deroy Murdock -
- Opinion
The Gap Between Political Correctness and Reality
The Democratic Party increasingly exhibits traits of a revolutionary party bent on obtaining control over thought and discourse. The potential ability to exercise this kind of power enables the progressives who run the Democratic Party to inevitably steer the country towards their objectives, having already defined the acceptable bounds of language and debate. Lenin defined…Richard M. Reinsch II -
- Opinion
It’s Time to Win War Against Big Tech
Big Tech is an enemy of the American people. The largest corporations of our information economy wield unparalleled power over Americans’ lives. They enjoy almost unfettered access to our personal information. And they exercise more immediate control over our speech and livelihoods than even the government itself. They’ve had years to prove themselves responsible stewards…Kevin Roberts -
- Opinion
Why Ideology Is the Ancient Enemy of Civilization
What ultimately destroyed the evil empires of Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia were bankrupt dogmas. Crackpot ideology destroyed free expression. It ruined meritocracy and ensured unequal application of the laws—and so paved the way for far worse. The Nazi idea of a superior Aryan race adjudicated everything from physics to tank design. Soviet commissars did…Victor Davis Hanson -
- Opinion
New Canadian Law Could Send Parents to Jail for Not Affirming Gender Identity
It’s a conversation many have had at least once in their life. A friend or family member shares that he or she is struggling with same-sex attraction. No doubt there are countless opinions on the most loving way to respond in these moments, but a new law in Canada mandates the response to be given….Virginia Allen -
- Opinion
What Jane Austen Can Teach Us About Dating and Romance Today
Few authors have influenced society’s ideas about romance more than Jane Austen. The English novelist, born in 1775, lived only to age 41. In her short life, Austin completed six novels, including her most famous, “Pride and Prejudice.” With Valentine’s Day just around the corner on Feb. 14—or the alternative Singles Awareness Day on Feb….Virginia Allen -
- Opinion
Beijing Olympics Prompt Burps of Moral Equivalence
Anyone under 30 today has no idea what it was like to live in America during the Cold War. That includes the reflexive tendency of liberals and leftists to insist repeatedly that we really shouldn’t lecture the authoritarians in the Soviet Union or China for gross abuses of human rights, because the United States isn’t…Tim Graham -
- Opinion
CEO’s Rant Emblematic of Why Covenant Between Main Street Consumers, Big Corporations Is Collapsing
Word travels fast in places like Pittsburgh’s iconic small-business district filled with third- and fourth-generation family-owned businesses. The majority of them are centered on two things: relationships and food. Relationships and food, but not politics. At least not usually, thank goodness. The relationships come not just from the generational loyalty of people repeating what their…Salena Zito -
- Opinion
Left’s Attack on Joe Rogan an Attack on Dissent
Joe Rogan must be stopped. This is the consensus from all of the wisest and most compassionate voices in our society. According to the White House, Spotify should not merely lead off Rogan’s COVID-19-centric podcast episodes with a content warning; according to press secretary Jen Psaki, “our view is that it is a positive step,…Ben Shapiro -
- Opinion
California Schools Can Change Students‘ Gender Categories Without Parent Consent
A Catholic mom in Northern California enrolled her daughter in a public charter school. During her initial Zoom classes, the girl, an incoming freshman who had not yet stepped foot in the school due to COVID-19, was asked her name and “preferred pronouns.” She chose a male name and male pronouns. The school then routinely used this…Dov Fischer -
- Opinion
Maduro Carries on Chavez’s Legacy As Venezuela Circles Drain in Downward Spiral
For much of the 20th century, Venezuela was the poster child for the successful South American republic—that is, democratic when its neighbors were despotic, and prosperous when its neighbors were poor. It was the wealthiest Latin American country, and it’s now the poorest, after its adoption of communism and one-man rule. How could a country…J. William Middendorf -
- Opinion
State Lawmakers Are Combating Racism the Right Way. Here’s What You Need to Know.
Every parent wants to protect their child from prejudice. Yet some activists and writers claim that state lawmakers’ proposals to reject educators’ use of critical race theory in K-12 schools is a “campaign” that “thrives on caricature.” We saw an example of this in a Twitter exchange between the best-selling author Jordan Peterson and the…Jonathan Butcher -
- Opinion
Student Activists Trying to Cancel Georgetown Law Professor Aren’t Snowflakes, They’re Bullies
A cancel culture incident at Georgetown Law School perfectly illustrates the corruption of elite American institutions and demonstrates the folly of wishing the “culture war” will simply go away. Constitutional lawyer Ilya Shapiro, who for a long time worked for the libertarian Cato Institute, came under fire for a clumsy tweet about President Joe Biden’s…Jarrett Stepman