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
South Dakota GOP Governor Has No Problem With Boys in Girls’ Locker Rooms
South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard, a Republican, officially has no problem with boys in girls’ locker rooms. There’s no other way to say it. Special interests and big businesses effectively lobbied the governor to veto a good bill because of the threats they made. Welcome to cultural cronyism at the bathroom. Welcome to cultural cronyism at… -
news
South Dakota Governor Vetoes Transgender Bathroom Bill
South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard, a Republican, vetoed a controversial bill Tuesday that would have prohibited public school students from using bathrooms, lockers, and shower rooms opposite from their biological sex, saying the measure “doesn’t address any pressing issue concerning the school districts of South Dakota.” Before making his decision, Daugaard met with transgender students… -
opinion
John Kerry Undercuts Key American Ally
In an example of how not to negotiate national security issues, Secretary of State John Kerry triggered confusion and consternation for key ally South Korea on U.S. deployment of the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) missile defense system. Just as Washington was finally gaining momentum for deploying a system that would significantly improve anti-missile… -
news
Minnesota Kindergarten Students Forced to Confront Gender Identity
It all started with a book: “My Princess Boy.” On Oct. 14, 2015, the elementary school principal of a Minnesota charter school informed parents that in the coming days, the school would be taking steps to “support a student who is gender nonconforming.” Their 5- and 6-year-old children, parents were told in an email, “will… -
news
San Bernardino iPhone Privacy Fight Pushes Congress to Act on Encryption
Congress is preparing to wade into one of the trickier policy issues of modern times: when or if technology companies should have to comply with law enforcement’s requests in accessing customers’ private, secure information. The leaders of Apple and the F.B.I.—the two parties warring over breaking into the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino… -
news
Inside the Push to Make It Harder for Government to ‘Steal’ Property, Cash in America’s Heartland
OKLAHOMA CITY—Oklahoma state Sen. Kyle Loveless is not backing down. The Republican has been called a liar and a socialist, in the pocket of organized crime, and al-Qaeda's and ISIS’ best friend by officers of the law who protect and serve. But in a year when Loveless, R-Oklahoma City, is up for re-election to the… -
opinion
The Left’s Embrace of Authoritarian Policies to Achieve ‘Equality’
There are few ideas today that seize the minds of liberals more than equality. It is the central tenet of progressive liberalism. It drives practically everything liberals do and believe in, from income equality to marriage equality. We usually think about the problem as an economist or sociologist would—as in whether everyone has the same… -
opinion
Steve Forbes on How a Flat Tax Would Reduce DC Cronyism
How do you get rid of cronyism in Washington? In my interview with Steve Forbes, chairman of Forbes Media and a former Republican presidential candidate, he makes the case that complexity gives power to Washington and that there is no better example than the IRS. Forbes says if you throw out the current tax code and go… -
opinion
Advice From a Two-Time Presidential Candidate on When to Drop Out
Former Republican presidential candidate Steve Forbes sat down with The Daily Signal on the eve of Super Tuesday to talk about what it’s like to run for office and the very difficult decision most candidates eventually face: how to know when it’s time to drop out. Forbes ran for the White House in 1996 and 2000… -
opinion
Broadcasting Reform Is Urgently Needed To Fight ISIS
The U.S. government desperately needs new and better tools to fight the information war against the Islamic State (ISIS) and other terrorist networks. One such new tool, The United States International Communications Reform Act (H.R. 2323), which was passed last May by the House Foreign Affairs Committee, remains in waiting mode and is pending a full… -
opinion
The Right Solution for Puerto Rico
Finally, support from Congress for something other than a federal bailout for Puerto Rico or letting the commonwealth break its contracts and constitutional obligations. The Republican Study Committee issued the following position: The RSC opposes granting access to Chapter 9 bankruptcy for Puerto Rico or access to similar forced restructuring of debt. The RSC does… -
opinion
Cartoon: The Devil’s In the Details
The Heritage Foundation's Cully Stimson wrote on President Obama's plan to close Guantanamo. As President Barack Obama delivered his speech from the Roosevelt Room in the White House on closing Guantanamo, his plan to close the terrorist detention facility was delivered to lawmakers. The 9-page plan—read together with the administration’s legal analysis of the immigration consequences… -
news
Mike Lee Believes Supreme Court Fight Helps Chances for Passing Criminal Justice Reform in Senate
Sen. Mike Lee believes that the Senate fight over the next Supreme Court nominee will help the chances of a criminal justice reform overhaul passing Congress this year. In an interview with The Daily Signal, Lee, a conservative leader on the issue, suggested that Republican leaders may be more eager to achieve a bipartisan deal… -
news
3 Areas Steve Forbes Thinks We Should Tackle to Revive America
Addressing tax, health care, and monetary policy is key to ensuring America’s economic future, says Steve Forbes, chairman of Forbes Media. Forbes, a two-time candidate for the Republican presidential nomination and Board of Trustees member at The Heritage Foundation, laid out his “reforms that we need to get this country moving again” during a speaking engagement… -
opinion
A Universal Basic Income Is Anti-Work
In a recent article, Richard Reeves of the Brookings Institution suggests that we should decouple income from work through a “universal basic income” based on the premise that the labor market no longer equitably distributes the gains from economic growth to those at the bottom of the income distribution. This is the wrong policy route… -
opinion
The Inconvenient Facts the Media Ignore About Climate Change
Americans in large numbers are turning off TV newscasts, canceling subscriptions to newspapers, and seeking other sources of news. Distrust of the national media has hit an all-time high. A recent Pew Research Center survey found that 65 percent of Americans believe that the national news media have a negative effect on our country. According… -
news
Hostility Toward Religion in America Is ‘Undeniable,’ Report Says
Discrimination against Americans of faith is on the increase, but if they stand up for their religious liberty, they can prevail, a new report says. “Hostility to religion in America is rising like floodwaters,” Kelly Shackelford, president, CEO, and chief counsel at First Liberty Institute, writes in the report. “This flood is engulfing ordinary citizens… -
opinion
Why Have Universities Been Overtaken by Mob Rule?
Student groups have asserted control of many university campuses across America. Without even resorting to force, they have successfully compelled the resignation of presidents and administrators, the firing and hiring of faculty, and drastic changes to university curricula, among other things. University after university gives in to these demands, or at least pretends to do… -
opinion
It’s Time to Stop Net Neutrality Madness
One year ago, the Federal Communications Commission voted to impose massive new “net neutrality” regulations on Internet providers. The decision was made after one of the most contentious debates ever at the 80-year-old regulatory agency. And, twelve months out, we still don’t know the final outcome—as the rules are still under review in federal court…. -
opinion
US Global Entry Program Continues to Expand
The United States has incorporated yet another country into its Global Entry Program: Germany. Trusted German citizens will now be able to enjoy a more streamlined travel experience, granted they undergo a background check and pay a $100 fee. This addition will offer even more incoming tourists faster entry at U.S. terminals while also enhancing…