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
Democrats Thrive by Keeping Americans Divided, Dependent, and Angry
In almost every area of American life, the better things are, the worse it is for the Democratic Party. And vice versa. Marriage Even today, after decades of feminism, most Americans agree that it is better for women (and for men)—and better for society—when women (and men) marry. Yet, when women marry, it is bad… -
news
Dumping Net Neutrality Is ‘Opposite of Authoritarianism,’ FCC Chief Says Amid Death Threats
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, in defending his proposal to do away with his predecessor’s 2015 net neutrality policy, made a not-so-subtle reference to the personal threats against him and his family. “Hysteria brings us to unpleasant and dangerous places,” @AjitPaiFCC says. Going back to May, he said, many public comments about the FCC… -
news
Why This Owner of a Personal Training Business Is Ready for Tax Reform
SPRINGFIELD, Missouri— Noah Alldredge, a small business owner in America’s heartland, is speaking out about how he and his employees could benefit from tax reform. -
opinion
Don’t Believe the Democrat Attacks on Tax Reform. Here Are the Facts.
As president of the State Financial Officers Foundation, I have the privilege of working with some of the nation’s sharpest financial officers. They are not merely treasurers. They are thought leaders, experts, and fighters who, day-in and day-out, serve on the front lines of fiscal policy and intimately understand their state budgets, cash flow, and… -
opinion
Podcast: Congress’ Slush Fund for Sexual Harassment Settlements
What is net neutrality? Why does FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai think we’d be better off without it? We explain. Plus: Congress’ new attempt to combat sexual harassment, and President Donald Trump’s fight with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. -
opinion
5 Terrorists Are Still in Pretrial Hearings for the 9/11 Attacks. Here’s Why It’s Taking So Long.
After the Oct. 31 terrorist attack in Manhattan, President Donald Trump commented on the painstakingly slow process of justice in the United States and the need for new policies concerning the prosecution of terrorists that are “much quicker and much stronger than we have right now.” A case that exemplifies the president’s point is the… -
opinion
These Groups Support Gay Marriage While Backing a Cake Baker’s First Amendment Rights
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission on Dec. 5, in what will be one of the most closely watched cases of the term. This is the case of Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop in Lakewood, Colorado, who declined to design a custom cake for a… -
opinion
New Study Shows Licensure Laws Kill Jobs in All 50 States
In America, everyone who can is expected to work. We don’t think of work as some kind of punishment but as an element of a meaningful and productive life. This goes for janitors, fast-food workers, and laborers, as well as lawyers, doctors, and chief executives. We all have a role to play, and we all… -
opinion
Anti-Terror Law’s Safeguards Against Incidental Collection of Domestic Data Are Sufficient
This is the second article in a series of five. You can read the first article, “How the Section 702 Program Helps America Thwart Terrorist Plots,” here, the third article, “Ample Safeguards of Civil Liberties Warrant FISA Section 702’s Reauthorization By Congress,” here, and the fourth article, “Forgetting Lessons of 9/11, Rebuilding FISA ‘Wall’ Would Be a Mistake,” here. … -
news
New Director Alone Can’t Fix ‘Rogue’ Consumer Agency
A new director, short or long term, won’t be enough to address accountability problems at the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, critics said as a legal fight broke out over who will run the agency with the departure of its first leader. “The agency should be professional, not political,” @ronaldLrubin says. The consumer agency’s legal… -
news
See How the White House Is Decorated for Christmas
First lady Melania Trump shows how the White House is decorated this Christmas. -
news
France Set to Make ‘Gender-Based Insults’ Illegal
French President Emmanuel Macron announced a number of measures to combat violence against women Saturday, including a fine on “gender-based insults.” Macron marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women by promising “to fight for the non-negotiable equality of both sexes” during his first term in office. “Let’s seal a pact of equality… -
opinion
The Benefits of Marriage
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in 2014, and is being republished in light of the announcement that American actress Meghan Markle is engaged to Britain’s Prince Harry, and the two will be married next spring. But it’s not just royals who benefit from marriage. Thirty-two percent of the growth in family income inequality… -
opinion
Why the Effort to Ban ‘Killer Robots’ in Warfare Is Misguided
Swarms of palm-sized quadcopters perform kamikaze attacks using tiny explosives to kill selected people using facial-recognition software and social media big-data analysis. News footage shows attacks on U.S. senators, student protesters, and hundreds of other civilians worldwide. Is this the trailer for a new science fiction blockbuster movie? No, this graphic, fictional scenario of a… -
opinion
Planned Parenthood Is in Deep Trouble With the Law. This Could Be a Turning Point.
We are living through a remarkable time in history. Almost daily, those in influential positions who once appeared untouchable are falling out of popular favor as their abuses are exposed. Earlier this month, one particularly corrupt institution was dealt back-to-back blows: Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion business. On Nov. 13, The Hill reported that… -
opinion
How the Section 702 Program Helps America Thwart Terrorist Plots
This article is the first in a series of five. You can read the second article, “Anti-Terror Law’s Safeguards Against Incidental Collection of Domestic Data Are Sufficient,” here and the third article, “Ample Safeguards of Civil Liberties Warrant FISA Section 702’s Reauthorization By Congress,” here. Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) will expire at the… -
opinion
Must-See Moments: How Thanksgiving Has Become an Overlooked Holiday
The Daily Signal’s Facebook Live show “Top 10” features the top news stories of the week, many of which often go underreported or misreported by the mainstream media. This week, on our special edition Thanksgiving episode, we discuss the commercialization of Thanksgiving and why society skips over the holiday, which gets a little lost between… -
news
Climate Change Alarmism Is ‘Garbage In, Garbage Out,’ Retired NASA Physicist Says
HOUSTON—Unvalidated climate models that don’t correspond with physical data and the requirements of the scientific method contribute to unfounded climate alarmism, a retired NASA physicist said at the Heartland Institute’s recent America First Energy Conference. Since America’s national security depends in part on energy security, unsubstantiated claims about global warming that prevent policymakers from making… -
news
New Freedom Caucus in the Texas Legislature Seeks to ‘Amplify the Voice of the Grassroots’
Republicans in the Texas Statehouse say they dedicated a Freedom Caucus within the Legislature to advancing grassroots conservative values, and they hope the caucus will be a significant influence in the selection of the next speaker of the state House. “Texas is a bright red state, a Republican stronghold, but it has been frustrating to… -
opinion
In Charts, How These 7 Taxpayers’ Bills Would Change If Tax Reform Were Enacted
How will you fare if the GOP tax plan is enacted? Well, on net, most Americans will see a significant tax cut under the proposed plans from Republican lawmakers, including virtually all lower- and middle-income workers and a majority of upper-income earners. Both the House and Senate versions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act…