Political Commentary & Opinion
Analysis, commentary, and opinion essays on politics and policy from The Daily Signal’s contributors and experts.
-
news
In Wisconsin, School Choice Has Unexpected Benefits
Elisha Doerr would not have had an opportunity to attend Wisconsin Lutheran High School, a Milwaukee-based private boarding school, if it weren’t for a school choice program. The school’s excellent curricula and the religious community were valuable to Doerr, 18, who now attends Harvard University and is deciding between majoring in government or computer science…. -
opinion
Case Against Accused USS Cole Bomber Stalled Again
The trial against the al-Qaeda terrorist accused of killing 17 American sailors in the attack on the USS Cole—which was was hit by explosives while harbored in Yemen in 2000—suffered a serious setback this week. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued a decision in the Guantanamo Bay military commission’s case that… -
opinion
Committee on Foreign Investment May Not Be Able to Handle Its Exploding Caseload
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. is often compared to a black box. Investors may be aware of what it does, but few know what really goes on inside. The nine members of the committee, drawn from various federal agencies, are in charge of reviewing foreign investments to determine whether or not they… -
opinion
Despite Differences, Civil Discourse Is Still Possible
America is divided. Nobody is listening to anyone else. All we want to do is have our own cognitive biases confirmed. America is doomed to an ideological civil war along racial, sexual, class, and religious divides. The best we can do is retreat to our own ideological bunkers and brace for the coming war. There’s… -
opinion
Why People Aren’t Fleeing This Central American Country in Caravans
LIBERIA, Costa Rica—In the ongoing U.S. debate about immigration, the Central American countries of Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala are mainly in the news because many of those crossing our border from Mexico are from these nations. Why isn’t Costa Rica experiencing a similar mass exodus? I put the question to President Carlos Alvarado Quesada…. -
opinion
Elegy for a Fallen Spire
It’s not about what we can say to mark a tragedy like the burning of Notre Dame. It’s about what we can’t. “There certainly are few finer architectural pages than this façade … a vast symphony in stone … the colossal work of one man and one people, all together one and complex, like the… -
opinion
Why the ‘Free the Nipple’ Win in Court Is a Loss for Women
A federal appeals court thinks there’s no difference between a man’s bare chest and a woman’s naked chest—and, despite what some feminists are saying, that’s bad news for women. Ignoring the real biological differences between men and women strips women of our rights to physical privacy. And even as more and more women are speaking… -
opinion
Ignore Medicare for All Advocates’ Claims on Life Expectancy in US. Here Are the Facts.
Ponder this: If self-styled “progressives” in Congress impose total government control over health care, will ordinary Americans enjoy a longer life span? Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., chief sponsor of the Senate “Medicare for All” bill (S. 1804), often reminds us that the United States spends roughly twice as much per capita on health care… -
opinion
Podcast: Born at 29 Weeks, This Young American Talks About Late-Term Abortions
Zach Mettler was apparently in quite a rush to see the world—he was born unexpectedly when he was just 29 weeks old, and a mere 2 pounds. The recent college graduate and Heritage Foundation intern shares how that shaped his views on abortion. Plus: We analyze a new video on the Green New Deal by… -
opinion
Problematic Women: What Bre Payton’s Mom and Friends Want You to Know About Grief
The Daily Signal’s weekly podcast, “Problematic Women,” went on a three-month hiatus after losing our podcast co-host, Bre Payton, on Dec. 28 of last year. Bre, a former staff writer for The Federalist, died from a sudden illness, and is survived by her parents, George and Cindy; siblings James, Jack, Christina, and Cheekie; and her… -
opinion
The Natural Limits of Identity Politics
Economist Herbert Stein’s old adage—“If something cannot go on forever, it will stop”—still holds. Take illegal immigration. There are currently somewhere from 11 million to 15 million immigrants living in the United States without legal authorization. Last month, nearly 100,000 people were apprehended or turned away while trying to illegally cross the southern border. Some… -
opinion
Are Chase Bank’s Account Decisions Motivated by Politics?
I have been a Chase Bank customer for years. Who knows how much longer it’ll be? Will the company’s thought police come for me next? How about you? If you are a non-leftist who does business with the financial giant owned by JPMorgan Chase & Co., you need to ask questions and get answers. On… -
opinion
The Establishment Is Trying to Kill Brexit
The April 12 date for Great Britain to leave the European Union has now passed, and Great Britain is still paying about 1 billion pounds ($1.3 billion) a month to be a member of the EU. Last Friday’s departure date was a delay to a previous March 29 deadline, and now it has been moved… -
opinion
Colorado Sex Ed Bill Would Force Kids to Learn LGBT Ideology, Ban Talk of Abstinence
Colorado’s wildly controversial, comprehensive sex ed legislation has ignited national discussions about how far Americans want to expose their children to a radical social agenda. More than a few eyebrows were raised when Colorado passed its mandatory comprehensive sex education law in 2013, which required students undergo “culturally sensitive” lessons. “Culturally sensitive” meant that sex… -
opinion
A Promising Proposal to Stop Wrongful Seizure of Assets
One day in 2012, the IRS turned Randy Sowers’ life upside down when agents seized his entire bank account—$63,000 in hard-earned money. Now, Congress is advancing legislation that would end the practice that made that travesty possible. Sowers was not, after all, a tax evader, criminal conspirator, or money launderer. He is a hard-working Maryland… -
opinion
Podcast: The Burning of Notre Dame
The fire at Notre Dame has been put out. The damage is extensive, but there are glimmers of hope even amid the destruction. Today, Monica Burke joins the podcast to share about the time she visited Notre Dame and what its burning means for France, Christians, and the Western world. We also cover these stories:…. -
opinion
Criticism of Rep. Ilhan Omar Isn’t Incitement
A couple of years ago, I spoke at the University of California, Berkeley. My presence was apparently so offensive to a particular group of people that hundreds of police officers were necessary to ensure the safety of the event. As I spoke inside, the protesters milled about, chanting and shouting. One of their favorite ditties:… -
opinion
What Notre Dame Means to Me, a Lifelong Catholic
I almost didn’t go to Paris. We were only a few weeks into our semester abroad in Italy, and I was still struggling with culture shock. Even though Europe was just as beautiful as I had always hoped, I was still frightened to venture too far from the comfort of our quiet apartment complex atop… -
news
Man Wearing MAGA Hat Attacked in Maryland Neighborhood
A legal citizen from Togo was reportedly attacked in Maryland for wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat on Saturday, as police have taken two suspects into custody. The man, who lives in Germantown, Maryland, was reportedly attacked in his neighborhood by two men because he was wearing the hat, in support of President Donald Trump. He was reportedly hit… -
opinion
Podcast: Recovering the Lost Art of Civility
With 2020 campaigns already ramping up, it looks like partisanship could be the norm for the foreseeable future. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In today’s episode, Alexandra Hudson joins us to discuss the lost art of civility and the critical role it plays in helping us survive our disagreements. We also cover…