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
Problematic Women: Moms Fret Disney’s Moana Costumes ‘Cultural Appropriation’
The concern over “cultural appropriation” and Halloween costumes isn’t just an issue on college campuses anymore. According to the New York Post, some moms are deeming Disney costumes such as Moana inappropriate for their daughters to wear. Writing for the blog raceconscious.org, Sachi Feris said: My 5-year-old, who I had successfully shielded from Disney princesses… -
opinion
I Went to a #NoMuslimBanEver March. Here’s What I Saw.
About 500 protesters gathered in Washington, D.C., for the #NoMuslimBanEver March, protesting the Trump administration’s travel ban. The Daily Signal went to the #NoMuslimBanEver March to find out why they were protesting. “I’m so upset to see many, many things this president is doing … to see him discriminate against a group of people, which… -
opinion
Sessions Faces Tough Questions on Civil Forfeiture, a Practice That Needs Sweeping Reform
Amid headline-grabbing exchanges on Russia and sanctuary cities, Attorney General Jeff Sessions faced tough questions on civil asset forfeiture at Wednesday’s Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing. Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., both voiced their concerns over abusive forfeiture practices and Sessions’ July order reinvigorating the highly controversial adoptive forfeiture program, which undercuts… -
news
Confirmed: 99% of Union Donations Go to Liberal-Leaning Causes
Unions across the country donated $765 million to various organizations over the last four years, and 99 percent of that cash went to liberal-leaning causes. Labor unions gave $764,952,394 to left-wing special interests between 2012 and 2016, according to the Center for Union Facts. Of the nearly $765 million, 99 percent of union political contributions went to… -
opinion
Why Pulling ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ From the Classroom Hurts Students
This year, as in years past, eighth-graders in Biloxi, Mississippi, began reading the classic American novel “To Kill a Mockingbird.” And then, partway through and with little warning, they stopped. Why? Because, according to the school board vice president, it “makes people uncomfortable.” If you attended American schools within the last few decades, chances are… -
opinion
EPA Pushes Back on Practice That Environmentalist Groups Used to Dictate Agenda
When environmental pressure groups can promote their agendas through closed-door rule-making with the Environmental Protection Agency, something has gone seriously wrong with the regulatory process. This is precisely what has been happening at federal agencies in recent years—but not for much longer at the EPA. On Monday, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt issued a directive to… -
opinion
In Our System, Punishment Should Fit the Crime
Violent crime did increase in the United States in 2016. But not everywhere. Baltimore, Chicago, and St. Louis have all suffered a large increase in murders the past few years, while communities like Omaha, Austin, and Miami have seen crime go down. There are many explanations for why crime increased in some cities but declined… -
opinion
This Unelected Board Would Have Put Seniors’ Health Care at Risk. Now, It’s on the Chopping Block.
Finding bipartisan agreement on any issue today is rare, and on health reform, essentially nonexistent. So what’s getting both Democrats and Republicans on the same wavelength? Four words: Independent Payment Advisory Board. This board, also known as IPAB, doesn’t quite exist yet. Under Obamacare, it was meant to be a powerful bureaucratic body of 15… -
opinion
5 Ways Republicans Could Ruin Tax Reform
Policymakers want to unleash economic growth in America by fixing our broken tax system. Or so they say. Now that the conversation has moved beyond just lowering tax rates, pro-growth tax reform is in danger of losing the stuff that actually makes it pro-growth. That’s because policymakers are caving to big-government advocates and other special… -
news
New Report: GOP Tax Reform Could Boost Household Income by $4,000
A study released Monday by the president’s Council of Economic Advisers found that congressional Republicans’ tax reform framework would produce thousands of dollars in income growth for American households. “Reducing the statutory federal corporate tax rate from 35 [percent] to 20 percent would … increase average household income in the United States by, very… -
opinion
The Right Side of History: War on the Electoral College Shows That Progressives Don’t Care About Middle America
“The Right Side of History” is a podcast dedicated to exploring current events through a historical lens and busting left-wing myths about figures and events of America’s past. On the inaugural episode, hosts Jarrett Stepman, a contributor to The Daily Signal, and Fred Lucas, The Daily Signal’s White House correspondent, discuss the recent calls to… -
opinion
Here’s How the Tax Code Helps Rich Taxpayers in Big Government States Pay Less
As Congress works on tax reform, it is worth noting how politicians and interest groups use the code for their benefit often at the expense of others. Some of the worst abusers are the states. One of the most overlooked issues with federal tax policy is how states exploit federal deductions to underwrite their spending… -
opinion
Starting a New Business Shouldn’t Be This Hard
A new National Bureau of Economic Research study has quantified the impact of America’s generation-long decline in business startups, and the results are not pretty. From 1980 to 2014, the lack of startups lowered overall business productivity growth by at least 3.1 percent. The authors estimate that if Americans had continued to start new businesses… -
opinion
Must-See Moments: Farmer Plows Message for NFL Players
The Daily Signal’s Facebook Live show “Top 10” features the top news stories of the week, many of which often go underreported by the mainstream media. This week, a North Dakota farmer plowed a message for NFL players in his field: “We Stand for the National Anthem.” We also cover a Georgia middle school that… -
news
Why Brexit and Catalonia Could Rekindle Scotland’s Independence Movement
EDINBURGH, Scotland—Scottish nationalists’ dreams of independence from the United Kingdom have gotten a fresh set of legs due to the tandem effects of Catalonia’s ongoing gambit for independence from Spain, and Britain’s floundering, ongoing Brexit negotiations. “We are seeing a developing disaster, in my view, with the Brexit negotiations,” Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, a… -
opinion
This College Professor Is Under Siege for Challenging Transgender Orthodoxy
A Boise State University professor recently learned what happens when you challenge left-wing social narratives on college campuses. Scott Yenor, a tenured professor, has been under siege on campus after publishing articles with The Heritage Foundation and The Daily Signal about feminism and the transgender movement. In those articles, Yenor explained the similarity in philosophy… -
opinion
Environmentalist Policies Are Exacerbating Wildfires. It’s Time to Rethink Forest Management.
Massive wildfires continue to rage out of control in Northern California, causing historic loss of life and billions of dollars in damage. The images coming out of California towns, which look like bombed-out cities from World War II, are a sobering reminder of man’s occasional futility in the face of nature unleashed. >>> 23 Photos… -
news
Kellyanne Conway Praises Trump’s Stance on Women
Kellyanne Conway spoke favorably of President Donald Trump’s attitude toward women Friday. “He expects and respects different viewpoints, input, individuals, [and] ideas,” she said at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C. “This is the way he’s been a successful businessman his whole career.” Conway, a White House aide to Trump, also said, “I work…