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
Want to Rebuild Higher Education? Here Is the Guidebook.
The rise of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)—a boom in their boom-and-bust cycle, as my colleague Robert Stilson calls it—has many political observers on the Right and Left analyzing the conditions that led to an embrace of that group’s radicalism. And they are radical. As Stilson points out, “[i]n its newly updated platform, the DSA… -
opinion
How Conservative Candidates Can Win the Abortion Conversation
The 2026 election season is well underway, and as usual, Democratic candidates are embracing radical, up-to-birth abortion messaging armed with support from Big Abortion. Once upon a time, some Democrats promoted abortion to keep it “safe, legal, and rare,” or so they said. But in the wake of the overturn of Roe v. Wade, the pro-abortion… -
opinion
The Voter ID Act Can Secure Elections and Restore Common Sense
As we approach November, legislators are running out of time to enact meaningful reforms before midterms, and many of their commonsense proposals are being received by fiery partisan opposition. One such proposal, the Voter ID Act (HR 9368), sponsored by Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., passed the Committee on House Administration June 24. It was attached… -
opinion
Socialism, Federalism, and the Future of the Electoral College
In the early 20th century, two of England’s intellectual giants engaged in a series of debates. Playwright George Bernard Shaw was the resident apologist for income redistribution and central planning. G.K. Chesterton, a Catholic writer, argued in favor of property rights and the decentralization of political power. “I found they were utterly insensate and grotesque,” Shaw… -
opinion
Soccer, America, ‘Country Roads,’ and the World
The country roads of America brought the world across our land, as our role hosting the World Cup fittingly coincided with America 250. The sprawling event on a grand stage reminded the world—and us—about important realities of our nation at its quarter-millennial birthday. Now, like most Americans, I hugely prefer our football—which starts soon. We… -
opinion
The UK Defense Investment Plan Is Substantive, but Critical Flaws Remain
Amidst broader political tumult, Britain’s long-awaited Defense Investment Plan was released on June 29. The plan revealed commendable steps to strengthen Britain’s armed forces. Investments in Britain’s nuclear deterrent, submarines, frigates, and F-35s will go some distance toward restoring British military credibility. Yet the plan proffers problems as well as solutions, namely poorly conceptualized autonomous… -
opinion
‘The Odyssey’: The Great Western Love Story
With its star-studded cast and wildly successful director, Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” is expected to be one of the highest-grossing films of 2026. But amid rave reviews of first screenings on the one hand and backlash against inauthentic casting and dialogue on the other, little has yet been said about the heart of the story…. -
opinion
K-12 Schools in California Need a DEI Audit
Watchdogs are discovering racist school curricula around the country, and these investigations can’t move fast enough. Kentucky and Indiana schools have been under the spotlight this summer, revealing the worst fears of American parents. The next stop should be California. In July, the Indiana Family Institute and the Kentucky state auditor released audits on schools… -
opinion
Canadian Wildfires Prove That Proper Forest Management Beats ‘Green’ Plans
It’s the same every fire season: Armchair experts and green campaigners confuse poor forest management with climate change, and then they use that confusion to justify their plans to remake the economy and control your energy use. Just as they did in 2023, true believers are claiming that the Canadian wildfires that last week darkened the… -
opinion
Why Georgia Republicans Are Wrong to Walk Away From Redistricting
The Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Louisiana v. Callais gave Georgia Republicans a historic opportunity to correct more than 150 years of electoral injustice. Instead, legislative leaders walked away, failing to ensure a morally and legally upright future for Georgia’s congressional representation. In Callais, the court clarified that the practice of dividing congressional districts by… -
opinion
John Solomon: A Star Among Journalists
Like many young men in the late ’80s and early ’90s, I became interested in current events, news, and commentary. Familiarizing myself with both the conservative and liberal journalists of the day forced me to think seriously about the issues facing the nation. I enjoyed the exercise. In those formative years, I came across a… -
opinion
Don’t Export Europe’s Health Care Failures to American States
The World Cup arrived. With it came millions of visitors from across the globe descending on American cities. They come for the soccer, sure. But while here, they discover something more—the kind of abundance that is easy to take for granted if you were born here. Walk through any American host city, and you’ll see… -
opinion
New York Woman’s Death Illustrates Ireland’s Asylum Trap
The first and only job for Irish police in the death of New York woman Jamey Carney should be solving her murder. So why play politics and issue statements that they’re “concerned the killing may be seized upon by the US far-right and political figures intent on stirring racial tensions in the Republic”? Perhaps they’re… -
opinion
Frederick Douglass’ Message for Conservatives Today
On July 5, 1852, in Rochester, New York, Frederick Douglass delivered one of the most important speeches in American history—and one of the most misunderstood. When “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” is remembered today, it is usually for the righteous anger of its middle section. Douglass was one of the nation’s… -
opinion
Colonial America Already Ran the Socialist Experiment. It Failed.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told ABC’s Jonathan Karl last month that a democratic socialist can win any office in the country. He may be right about the contemporary politics, but he is dead wrong about the underlying economics, and Colonial America proved it four centuries before he took the oath of office. The… -
opinion
Red Flag Case Studies Highlight Corporations Putting Shareholder Value at Risk
When corporate governance experts speak about “red flags,” they are typically referring to information signaling a problem at a corporation that warrants additional oversight. As a related law firm memo on Delaware law notes: “The duty of oversight requires directors to … take action to address red flags that indicate potential corporate wrongdoing.” As a… -
opinion
If the Driver Had Just Stopped the Car, the Officer Would Have Lived
A Philadelphia officer answered a gun call on June 27. The car he’d stopped shifted into reverse, plowed into two marked cruisers, and threw him onto the hood, into the windshield, and over the roof before speeding off. He survived. In Greenwood, South Carolina, an officer died in May when a driver fleeing a stop… -
opinion
Abigail Spanberger and the 3 Little Words That Should Terrify Every Virginian
What do John Tyler, James Monroe, and Thomas Jefferson have in common? They are the three Virginia governors who have gone on to become president. Just a couple of years from now, the United States could sleepwalk into adding a fourth name to the list: Gov. Abigail Spanberger. Spanberger is a choice beloved by the… -
opinion
Innovation Can Make Data Centers Cleaner—If New York Lets It
As communities across America debate whether to approve new data centers, some are implementing moratoria based on concerns over water use and noise pollution. Most recently, New York issued an executive order banning data center construction for one year while the state looks to address environmental concerns with more regulation and red tape. Those concerns… -
opinion
The Exceptional Members Backing Accountability in Federal Spending
When people think of the rights and responsibilities of a legislator, they typically first imagine lawmaking: the slow and arduous task of crafting laws and policies. Thankfully, some members of Congress are moving beyond a passive view of lawmaking and are recovering a fuller picture of what it means to exercise their duties as elected…