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
One Year After Same-Sex Marriage Decision, Dissent Not Permitted
By now, nearly one year after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, it should be clear that the aggressive and unreasonable elements of the LGBT movement cannot harmonize themselves with freedom for Christians and other conscientious objectors. With few, commendable examples, the LGBT movement’s activist class, who advocated for same-sex marriage and… -
news
This New Law Ensures South Carolina Students Will Study the Founding Documents
Gov. Nikki Haley, a Republican, signed a South Carolina House bill into law that implements the study of U.S. founding documents into the state’s public high schools. The South Carolina Founding Principles Act requires the study of the United States Constitution, the Federalist Papers, and “the structure of the government and the role of separation… -
opinion
What Liberals Get Wrong About the Family
Conservatives are wrong to accuse the liberals of relativism. They are not relativists, but have fanatical attachment to certain ideals, which conservatives often fail to understand. One such ideal is autonomy, which guides their entire sexual agenda. As I argue in “The Obligations of Family Life: A Response to Modern Liberalism,” the Left’s understanding of… -
news
After Orlando, Democrats Push For Universal Background Checks
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., seized control of the Senate floor Wednesday morning in an effort to force lawmakers to agree on legislation that would enforce a universal background check system and stop suspected terrorists from purchasing guns. The Connecticut Democrat didn’t yield back the floor until just after 2 a.m. Thursday. He spoke for more… -
opinion
7 Ways US Can Prevent Another Orlando Attack
In the wake of the Orlando terrorist attack, the Obama administration has been quick to blame gun control laws. This is because the administration refuses to admit its policies to defeat the Islamic State have failed. Islamist terror attacks within the U.S. have dramatically increased within the past year—with Orlando being the 22nd instance of… -
news
K-12 Gender Identity Standards Surprise Some Washington Parents
Kaeley Triller Haver is no stranger to the transgender bathroom debate. After being sexually assaulted as a child and going public with her story, the single mom from Washington state now opposes shower, locker room, and bathroom policies that she believes leave her and her daughter vulnerable and unsafe. So earlier this month, when she found… -
news
Conservatives Battle Virginia Governor’s Order to Allow Ex-Felons to Vote
On multiple fronts, conservatives are challenging Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s executive order to restore voting rights to ex-felons who have completed their prison sentences. This week, Judicial Watch, the conservative advocacy group, filed a lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Bedford County, seeking to prevent ex-felons who gain from McAuliffe’s April 22 order from voting… -
news
Audit Shows Majority of North Carolina Bathroom Bill Protest Petitions Were From Out of State
Petitions delivered by LGBT activists to the North Carolina governor’s office, calling for a repeal of the state’s “bathroom bill,” were mostly signed by out-of-state individuals, the North State Journal reported. In March, North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory, a Republican, signed House Bill 2 that established public restroom facility accessibility be based on biological sex…. -
opinion
Number of Teenagers Having Sex Has Dramatically Declined
“Teenagers have sex. Deal with it.” That was a dismissive statement by a blogger in 2012 who taught at Yale University’s School of Public Health. Fortunately, teens did deal with it—by not having sex. They seemed to have missed this flippant blog and ignored this careless advice from adults who should know better. On June 9, the Centers… -
news
‘Radical Islam’ Does Matter in Identifying Enemy, Experts Say
Using the phrase “radical Islam” to describe the Islamic State or other jihadist groups will not win the war, but is nonetheless relevant in identifying the ideology—not the religion—that America is fighting, experts said. “I don’t believe the phrase “Islamist extremism” or “Islamist terrorism” is some sort of incantation that’s going to fix everything,” Walter… -
opinion
Government Rates 99% of Federal Employees ‘Fully Successful’ or Higher
According to a recent study by the Government Accountability Office, virtually all federal employees are above average. In a five-scale rating system, 74 percent of federal employees were given the highest two ratings of “exceeds fully successful” and “outstanding.” Including the middle category of “fully successful” encompasses more than 99 percent of federal employees, leaving less… -
opinion
Visa Waiver Program Shortcomings and Successes
The Government Accountability Office recently released a critical report on the Visa Waiver Program. While there is plenty to be frustrated about in the report, the details are not as bad as the initial summary suggests. And perhaps most importantly, the report unequivocally states that the program is improving U.S. counterterrorism efforts—a fact missed by… -
news
Conservatives Have a Plan to Block Women in the Draft
The Senate voted 85-13 Tuesday to advance an annual defense policy bill that would require women to register for the draft. But that doesn’t mean the provision is guaranteed to become law. Opponents of the draft measure will have an opportunity to kill it when the House and Senate reconcile the differences between their versions… -
news
Massachusetts AG Investigating Conservative Groups With Ties to Exxon Mobil
Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey is now the latest state prosecutor to start investigating conservative groups with supposed ties to Exxon Mobil Corp., after she issued a subpoena for 40 years of internal company documents and communications with a handful of think tanks. Healey’s office subpoenaed Exxon as part of a multistate effort among liberal… -
news
One State Is Making It Easier for Government to Take Property
Over the last two years, the shortfalls of the civil forfeiture system have garnered attention from both the media and state and federal lawmakers as more and more people who had property seized by police have come forward—the vast majority of whom were never charged with a crime. In that time, state legislatures, in particular,… -
opinion
Orlando Massacre Shows We Must Stop Teaching Children to Hate America
Despite signs everywhere that the Orlando massacre has failed to bring the country together, there seems to be a growing consensus on at least one point—considering a return to E Pluribus Unum. This is a national debate that conservatives have long demanded and should relish having. Sure, some are recalling the motto only to rebuke… -
opinion
Cleaning Up Environmental Regulation
Environmental regulations constitute a hefty portion of America’s regulatory burden, in large part because “reform” is an alien concept within the Environmental Protection Agency. But the House GOP on Tuesday unveiled a new policy agenda that, with any luck (and political fortitude), will reverse decades of regulatory excess and abuse. In many respects, the need… -
opinion
Gawker Files for Bankruptcy: Do Super Rich Have Too Much Influence on Our Legal System?
Last week, Gawker Media filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, shortly after it lost a major $140 million lawsuit to Terry Bollea, who is better known by his wrestling persona, Hulk Hogan. This type of bankruptcy doesn’t liquidate the company—rather, it restructures the company in an attempt to go forward unsaddled by debt. Some are already… -
opinion
Our Enemy Is Political Islam, Not Each Other
Around 2 a.m. Sunday morning, a 29-year-old man named Omar Mateen walked into a nightclub in Orlando, Florida, and killed 49 people, wounding 53 more. It was the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil since 9/11. Mateen was an American-born Muslim and the son of Afghan immigrants. We know what inspired this crime: Islamist terrorism, fueled… -
opinion
The Terrorist Watch List, Explained
In the aftermath of the Orlando terrorist attack, the fact that Omar Mateen was twice investigated by the FBI has many wondering why he was allowed to purchase firearms and why the FBI wasn’t aware of his plans for terror. Here are the key details about U.S. terrorist watch lists and what they do. What…