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
Efforts to Stop Government From Unjustly Taking Private Property Gain Steam
Civil asset forfeiture reform is gaining momentum in federal and state legislatures, and not a moment too soon. As outlined in a Heritage Foundation report, “Arresting Your Property,” a legal tool that began as a means of pursuing pirates and smugglers in the age of sail has expanded in scope in the last few decades,… -
news
In ‘Uncharted’ Period of Violence, Police Change Tactics but Keep Perspective
As police around the country grapple with recent violence against their own, Chief Brandon del Pozo of the Burlington Police Department in Vermont is requiring his officers to pair up when responding to calls for service, as a method for added safety and support. “It's important for cops to have someone to talk to about… -
news
‘Quintessential Insider Deal’: Taxpayers Finance Family Ties of 2 Failing Green Companies
Grassroots conservative activists who run a reboot of Ronald Reagan’s political action committee want to know why the government allows one failing company to buy another failing company while both get taxpayer subsidies. They also want to know why corporate executives with friends in high places have not been subjected to more scrutiny after receiving… -
news
Uber and Lyft Move the GOP Convention. Meet Some of the Drivers.
CLEVELAND—Because of the Republican National Convention, Joseph Oluwamuyibe is living in his car. Every day, he wakes up around noon and drives to the nearest gas station, where he fills up his Toyota Highlander and freshens up in the restroom sink. Then, he works till 3 a.m. But Oluwamuyibe, a 44-year-old Nigerian American, isn’t upset…. -
opinion
Lawsuit Challenges Part of Congressional Debt Relief Plan for Puerto Rico
A court case challenging the congressional plan to deal with the Puerto Rico debt crisis has been launched to ensure the territory pays its bills. Creditors filed suit against the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in San Juan’s United States District Court on Wednesday. This type of lawsuit is exactly what Congress had hoped to prevent… -
news
Church Fights State Over What It Preaches, Practices on Sexuality and Gender Identity
A small Iowa church has entered a legal battle with the state government over what the congregation considers censorship of biblical teaching on human sexuality. The dispute began with a brochure published by the Iowa Civil Rights Commission about state law’s protections for sexual orientation and gender identity. The document explained how the law applies to places… -
opinion
The Iran Nuclear Deal Continues to Unravel
The steady drip of disturbing revelations about President Barack Obama’s Iran nuclear agreement continues unabated. On Monday, the Associated Press reported that key restrictions on Iran’s uranium enrichment activities will significantly ease after 10 years, long before those restrictions expire after 15 years. The AP acquired a confidential document, leaked by an anonymous diplomat involved in… -
opinion
Solutions for Black Americans, Beginning With the Need for Dads
The prospects for a better future are nearly hopeless for roughly 20 percent of black people—those who reside in big-city, crime-infested, and dysfunctional neighborhoods. There is virtually nothing that can be done about it without a major rebuilding of the black community from within. Let’s examine some of the aspects of the problem and the… -
news
21 Quotes From the Christian Gathering That Brought Hundreds of Thousands to DC
Hundreds of thousands of people filled the National Mall on Saturday, gathering together for a national “reset.” Event goers united in prayer and worship throughout the day. The free event, called Together 2016, featured a lineup of more than 40 Christian speakers, pastors, and music artists. Nearly 1,000 churches nationwide pledged to attend the event…. -
news
In Cleveland, GOP Governors Up Commitments to Criminal Justice Reform
CLEVELAND—Despite strong voices from conservative members of the Senate, a trio of Republican governors reaffirmed the Republican Party’s commitment to tackling criminal justice reform. On the second day of the Republican National Convention here, Govs. Matt Bevin of Kentucky, Nathan Deal of Georgia, and Mary Fallin of Oklahoma touted reforms passed in their states assisting… -
news
A Day in the Life of a Delegate to the GOP Convention
CLEVELAND—It’s just after 3 p.m. on the afternoon of the first day of the Republican National Convention, and Art Wittich is leaning up against a red pole on the outskirts of the convention floor, observing the events taking place before him. Directly to his right, CNN anchors and guests gather around an anchor desk, preparing… -
opinion
Wearing Sagging Pants Just Became Illegal in Another Town. It’s a Low Blow.
Is it possible to raise community standards by the belt buckle? Timmonsville, South Carolina, is the latest locale to answer by making it a local crime to wear sagging pants. The new law (Ordinance No. 543) bans “wear[ing] pants, trousers, or shorts such that the known undergarments are intentional[ly] displayed/exposed to the public.” It also bans… -
opinion
Bad Eggs? Executives Can Go to Prison Despite Ignorance of Harms Others Did
Austin "Jack" DeCoster and his son Peter sell a lot of eggs. They own 13 facilities comprised of 97 barns housing 5 million “layers” (egg-laying hens) and abundant “pullets” (younger nonlayers) across a total of 3 million square feet, with additional square footage for cleaning, packaging, and storing. Sometime between January and August 2010, according… -
news
Why Police Say Body Cameras Can Help Heal Divide With Public
The 75 police officers of the Parker Police Department favor wearing cameras on their body to capture encounters with citizens. “I don't know if you could find one officer who would want to go back to not having body cameras,” said Cmdr. Chris Peters, who designed Parker’s body camera program, which is approaching its one-year anniversary… -
news
You Need 4 Different Licenses to Shine Shoes in DC. Sen. Ben Sasse Wants to Change That.
Republican Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Ben Sasse of Nebraska have teamed up to challenge the issue of occupational licensing, which refers to the state and local rules that require job seekers to obtain approval from the government before he or she can start working in that profession. Most agree that jobs that deal… -
opinion
Is Sharing Netflix Passwords a Crime? Laws Are Unclear—and That’s a Problem
Sharing passwords from popular streaming services, like Netflix and HBO, could become a federal crime under a broad federal criminal statute. Last week, a divided panel of federal judges on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in an opinion written by Judge Margaret McKeown, affirmed the conviction of David Nosal under the Computer Fraud… -
opinion
‘Blueprint for Reform’ Gives Desperately Needed Guidance to Washington
The barbaric attack in Nice, the slaughter of police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, and Hillary Clinton’s umpteenth legal cakewalk leave many Americans feeling angry and powerless—and understandably so. The social contract seems to have been shredded by the mayhem that envelops us. But the upcoming election and change of administration offer Americans an… -
opinion
Communism Still Persists. We Must Remember Nations Where People Are Not Free.
Communism is a cancer that must be removed lest it spread. That historical lesson led President Ronald Reagan, after four decades of containment and accommodation, to lay down a new policy to end the Cold War: “We win and they lose.” Under Reagan, the United States initiated a multipronged anti-communist strategy that was part military… -
news
After Nice, France Grapples With How to Combat Terrorism
KYIV, Ukraine—The terrorist attack in Nice spurred finger pointing among France’s political elite about insufficient security during Bastille Day celebrations, as well as a sober acknowledgment that the threat of radical Islamist terrorism has become a day-to-day reality for life in France. The attack, which killed 84 along the French Riviera on France’s independence day, July… -
opinion
These Are the Tools We Need to Win the Long War Against Islamist Terrorism
After the horrible terrorist attack in Nice, France, millions of Americans, Frenchmen, and others around the world are probably asking themselves what can be done to stop the seemingly unending wave of deadly Islamist terrorist attacks from Dhaka, Bangladesh to San Bernardino, California. These attacks have been conducted using explosives, guns, and now an ordinary…