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
Why Is This Government Program Allowed to Hurt American Companies?
Rare is the issue that unites Michigan’s Democratic Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow with their chamber’s most conservative members. But when federal subsidies to foreign firms threaten American jobs, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle find common cause—and rightly so. Taxpayers should not be financing overseas business ventures that undercut U.S. companies. The… -
opinion
There’s an Intelligence Crisis at the White House
With U.S. foreign policy in the doldrums on every front, President Obama’s handlers decided it was time for action. And, so he jetted to Afghanistan to spend Memorial Day with the troops. The fly-in to Bagram Airfield was only the first “photo op.” Two days later the president convened a Rose Garden press conference to… -
opinion
The Unforgettable Tank Man
It’s one of the most iconic images of the 20th century: a man standing perfectly still, facing a large tank as it bears down on him. He’s unarmed and alone. Defenseless—except for an unshakeable conviction that freedom is so important, it’s worth risking your life for. That is just what the man was doing when,… -
opinion
The Surprising States That Have Greater Income Inequality
For those in Washington obsessed with reducing income inequality, the standard prescription involves raising taxes on the well-to-do, increasing the minimum wage, and generally expanding government benefits—the policies characterizing liberal, blue-state governance. If only America took a more “progressive” approach, the thinking goes, leaving behind conservative, red-state priorities like keeping taxes low and encouraging business,… -
opinion
In Memoriam: Joseph Shattan
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Joseph Shattan, a Heritage Foundation writer and devoted member of the Heritage family. Joe was a member of the Heritage family for nearly 20 years—first as a Bradley Fellow from 1997 to 1999, during which time he wrote his book “Architects of Victory: Six… -
opinion
Jim DeMint Takes Your Questions
We had a great conversation on our first Daily Signal Hangout this week, and if you weren’t able to join us LIVE, I hope you’ll watch the discussion here. We covered a host of topics, including the growing movement by parents across the country to push back on Common Core, how getting rid of the… -
news
Is the Gold Standard Making a Comeback?
Yesterday was the 30th anniversary of Republican Rep. Jack Kemp’s introduction of the Gold Standard Act of 1984—a bill that some regard as the last congressional push for sound money. “Lower marginal tax rates and a proxy for the gold standard created 40 million jobs,” Jack Kemp Foundation President Jimmy Kemp said at a forum… -
opinion
How Washington Is Sneakily Implementing Cap and Trade
Critics of President Obama’s climate change regulations are often labeled by proponents as science deniers. While climate realists is a more accurate description, President Obama is clearly using denier math when he says that the Environmental Protection Agency’s carbon rules for existing power plants will drive down electricity prices. The EPA’s New Source Performance Standards… -
news
Presumed Innocent: Bergdahl ‘Can Testify or He Can Lawyer Up’
When he recovers sufficiently to return to the United States, Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl will be able to see his family–and experience freedom–after five years of Taliban captivity. But once he arrives home to Idaho following a stay at a medical facility in Landstuhl, Germany, Bergdahl will encounter the military justice system like any other… -
news
Remembering D-Day in 18 Photos
Seventy years ago, U.S.-led western allies invaded Normandy in an effort to liberate Europeans from Nazi power during World War II. June 6, 1944 ultimately brought down Nazi Germany. We remember those who fought for freedom today. -
opinion
How a Dad’s Involvement Can Change His Children’s Future
Children with involved fathers are more likely to graduate from college—particularly among middle- and upper-income families but also among those from lower-income backgrounds, a recent study found. According to this new research by Brad Wilcox at the University of Virginia, the family structure that best promotes this involvement is a married, intact family. This is… -
opinion
High-Standards TPP Will Benefit U.S. and Vietnam
This week, Vietnamese leaders welcomed a business delegation led by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. Vietnam is a negotiating partner in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade talks, and meetings with the Vietnamese president and prime minister focused on the progress of negotiations that have dragged on for six years now. As negotiations continue on… -
opinion
Suspend U.S. Aid to the Hamas-backed Palestinian Unity Government
President Obama’s Middle East policy continues to unravel with dangerous consequences for American national interests and those of its allies. On Monday, the Palestinian Islamist extremist movement Hamas joined a government of national unity with the rival Fatah movement, the dominant faction within the Palestine Liberation Organization. This move represents a setback for the U.S,… -
opinion
Heroism in Air, on Land, and by Sea
June 6 marks the 70th anniversary of the battle for the beginning of the end of a Nazi-dominated Europe. In the annals of history, the invasion of Normandy is recalled as one of the great military victories. At the time, in the long hours of the longest day, while airborne troops leaped into the darkened… -
news
Now There Are 3: Oklahoma, South Carolina Join Indiana in Exiting Common Core
Common Core is on the chopping block. Oklahoma today became the third state to exit the national education standards and reclaim its decision-making authority in education. The move comes on the heels of South Carolina, which days ago put an end to Common Core—setting precedent for other states to follow. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley… -
news
Virginia DMV Attempts to Shutter Ridesharing Companies Uber, Lyft
Just when you thought you couldn’t despise the Department of Motor Vehicles any more, Virginia’s DMV decided to wage war against popular passenger carrier companies Uber and Lyft, sending cease and desist letters urging them to stop doing business in the commonwealth. The Virginia DMV, which has already fined Uber and Lyft $26,000 and $9,000,… -
news
Country Music Radio Host: Hard Work Will Fix That Achy Breaky American Dream
As graduation season draws to a close, more and more high school and college graduates have tossed their tasseled caps in celebration, only to lower their economic expectations later. A joint CNN-ORC poll released this week reports that nearly 6 in 10 young Americans believe the iconic American Dream has drifted out of reach. Surveying… -
opinion
Why Reagan Lives on 10 Years After Death
On June 5, 2004, President Ronald Reagan died after battling Alzheimer's disease. Ten years later, his legacy lives on through the conservative principles he espoused. Reagan began his term in 1981, with the country in a deep economic crisis. Americans faced high unemployment, fallout from an energy crisis, stagnation, massive government spending, tax burden, a… -
opinion
Civil Forfeiture Criticized in Congress
The growing national chorus in favor of civil asset forfeiture reform gained new allies in the halls of Congress last week. Denouncing civil forfeiture as an “ugly development,” Representative Tim Walberg (R–MI) took to the floor of the House of Representatives to call for the practice to be investigated and curbed. Civil asset forfeiture allows… -
opinion
What’s in Common Core National Standards?
What does Common Core math look like? Caleb Bonham, Campus Reform’s Editor-in-chief, just released a video that illustrates the dramatic shift in mathematics education students will experience under the Common Core national standards. As the video suggests, Common Core will change dramatically the way math has been taught for decades. Developed in 2009 by the…