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
DC Metro Police Officer Charged With Supporting ISIS: US Must Do More to Defeat Islamic State Abroad
Authorities arrested an officer with the Washington Metro Transit Police Department on Wednesday for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State, or ISIS. While this may be the first U.S. police officer charged with aiding ISIS, in the past there have been both civilian and military personnel who have given material support and/or… -
opinion
New Massachusetts Law Banning Employers From Asking Salary History Could Hurt Employees
Transparency in pay is a rallying point of “fair pay” advocates. Why then would a recent law passed in Massachusetts prohibit questions about pay? Ironically, what has been deemed the most robust equal pay law in the country simultaneously mandates the free flow of salary discussions amongst employees while prohibiting employers from asking potential hires… -
news
Democrat AGs, Green Groups Defy Subpoenas on ‘Coordinated’ Climate Efforts
Environmental activists and state government officials, declining to comply with subpoenas by House Republicans probing their “coordinated efforts” to punish climate change skeptics, face additional scrutiny as part of the congressional investigation. The deadline for New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, and eight environmental organizations to comply with subpoenas from… -
opinion
3 Ways to Talk About Conservatism With a Liberal
As the mantra of “Don't discuss politics or religion” repeats like a drumbeat in your head, you settle on “How about that game?” Your desperate search for the safest question to ask a colleague as you wait for the morning coffee to brew is understandable. But you can find a way. If conservatives refrain from engaging… -
opinion
Philippines Wisely Rejects Western Imperialism on Climate Policy
My family members in northern Virginia, who disdain cold weather, have an aphorism that captures our thoughts about climate change: “Global warming, every little bit helps!” The new Philippine president, Rodrigo Duterte, may not be rooting for warming like we are, but his repudiation last month of the Paris climate treaty is particularly inconvenient for… -
opinion
Pakistan Must Prevent Terror Groups from Exploiting Kashmir Crisis
Protest demonstrations over the killing of a militant separatist leader by Indian security forces led to weeks of turmoil in Indian Kashmir. Pakistan-based terror groups are now seeking to take advantage of the situation. Hafiz Saeed—head of Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD)—warned of countrywide protests in Pakistan if Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh visits Islamabad later this week… -
news
Judge Considers Temporary Halt to Implementation of NC Bathroom Law
Kicking off what is expected to be a long legal battle, the U.S. Justice Department and the American Civil Liberties Union asked a federal judge to temporarily block parts of North Carolina’s bathroom law from being enforced. If the judge agrees, provisions of House Bill 2, which mandates that people use bathrooms and locker rooms… -
opinion
Medicare’s Next 50 Years: Fix the Problems and Improve the Program
Medicare, the giant health program covering senior and disabled citizens, turned 51 on July 30. While Americans understandably are preoccupied with a hot presidential race, the big policy problems loom regardless of the winner in November. And of all of the domestic issues, the future of Medicare is the biggest challenge facing the nation related… -
opinion
These States Added Work Requirements for Food Stamp Recipients: Here’s How It’s Working Out
Several states have grappled with welfare reform. A few states that have incorporated work requirements have seen encouraging outcomes that should provide a blueprint for greater welfare reform efforts nationwide. From March to April of this year, the number of food stamp recipients decreased by 773,134. This brings food stamp enrollment down to 2011 levels… -
opinion
The NBA’s Transgender Bathroom Advocacy Could Point to End of Women’s Sports
How far does the NBA want transgender “rights” to go? The NBA stepped into the culture war with its recent decision to move the 2017 All-Star Game out of Charlotte, North Carolina, citing “the climate created by HB2,” the bill that requires government single-sex bathrooms be available only to people on basis of the sex… -
opinion
Readiness Challenges Grow for Navy as US Faces ‘Great Power’ Competition at Sea
One of the greatest challenges to American interests abroad is in keeping the world’s oceans open to commerce and activity. From Russia dominating the Black Sea to China constructing man-made islands in the South China Sea, it is apparent the U.S. Navy must be prepared for growing threats. “For the first time in 25 years, the… -
opinion
The Zika Battlefield Comes Home to America
As some world-class athletes pass up the opportunity of a lifetime to compete at the Rio Olympics due to worries about the Zika virus, the concerns and fears now are striking closer to home. Zika-carrying mosquitoes have come to America. Florida Gov. Rick Scott announced this morning that 10 more people in the Miami area, for… -
opinion
Facing the Terror Threat at the Olympic Games in Rio
The Olympic Games are supposed to be a celebration of sport, international good will, and man’s ability to transcend conflict. They are what Gen. Douglas MacArthur called “the fields of friendly strife.” Yet, since Palestinian terrorists disrupted the 1972 Munich Games, the Olympics also have meant something else. Every country that wins the opportunity to host… -
opinion
To Promote American Innovation, We’ve Got to Modernize This Office
Today, if you wish to get a copyright for a musical composition or a book, don’t expect things to move at warp speed. A snail’s pace is more like it. You submit a form. Once eight to 14 months have elapsed, your claim finally may be processed. Why is this? Strangely enough, much of the… -
news
It Takes 4 Times Longer to Become a Hair Braider Than an EMT in Oklahoma
For aspiring hair braiders in more than half of the United States, obtaining the license needed to work this job can take as few as six hours and as many as 2,100 hours, or about 262 eight-hour days. But in 10 places that require hair braiders to get approval from local and state governments, a new report… -
news
A Look Inside 4 Important Goals of the LGBT Movement
PHILADELPHIA—Despite being proud of advances they’ve made during eight years under President Barack Obama, leaders of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender movement say they still have work to do. “The future of the LGBT movement hinges largely on the outcome of this election,” Kevin Jennings, executive director of the Arcus Foundation, said at a… -
opinion
Don’t Bring Empty Bottles Into Michigan, You Might Go to Jail
Founding Father James Madison wrote in the Federalist Papers that “It will be of little avail to the people, that the laws are made by men of their own choice, if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood.” The phenomenon of overcriminalization puts all… -
opinion
3 Things Reagan Said About Trade That Apply Today
Ronald Reagan was an advocate of free trade throughout his presidency. But just like today, many Americans in the 1980s opposed free trade and pushed for measures that would keep the nation out of the global economy. Fortunately, Reagan argued persuasively in support of trade, and his success led to rapid growth in the U.S…. -
news
How Democrats View the Transgender Bathroom Debate
PHILADELPHIA—Democrats didn’t shy away from the issue of gender identity and public restrooms at the Democratic National Convention, turning what used to be a women’s restroom inside the Wells Fargo Center into an all-gender restroom. The Daily Signal observed both men and women using the facility, seemingly paying little mind to the sex of the… -
opinion
These Climate Change Regulations Will Increase Your Electric Bill
Amid the summer heat, American households are thankful for affordable, reliable air conditioning. But the Obama administration’s war on coal is going to drive up energy prices for families who want to keep cool in the summer and stay warm in the winter. A recent study by Heritage Foundation economists estimates that the administration’s regulations…