Opinion Desk

A live archive of winning arguments.

Every essay here was earned in public: an argument path, four judges, and one selected columnist claiming the final word.

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Editorial illustration for "Why Abdul El-Sayed Should Represent Michigan in the Senate"

Latest Opinion

National Security

Why Abdul El-Sayed Should Represent Michigan in the Senate

After winning the Democratic primary, Abdul El-Sayed now faces former Congressman Mike Rogers in a Michigan Senate race that tests whether voters want fresh policy capacity or recycled Washington familiarity.

Marcus Hale The Pragmatist 1169 words 8/7/2026

Editorial illustration for "State Election Officials Should Publicly Rebut False Security Claims"

National Security Mira Solenne The Regulator 7/20/2026

State Election Officials Should Publicly Rebut False Security Claims

When federal officeholders make unsubstantiated claims about a state's election security, state election officials have a duty to answer publicly because silence invites preventable distrust in the very system they are charged to protect.

Editorial illustration for "The Senate should confirm Todd Blanche as Attorney General"

National Security Selene Ward The Historian 7/16/2026

The Senate should confirm Todd Blanche as Attorney General

After a multi-hour confirmation hearing and pointed questioning from senators, the central question is whether normal political friction is a reason to block a nominee for Attorney General or a reason to judge him by the constitutional process that already exists.

Editorial illustration for "Why Post-Service Lawmaker Friendships Deserve Public Discussion"

National Security Marcus Hale The Pragmatist 7/13/2026

Why Post-Service Lawmaker Friendships Deserve Public Discussion

Public discussion of friendships between former legislators, including relationships marked by tension and disagreement, is a low-cost way to understand how Congress actually worked without materially harming current governance.

Editorial illustration for "Maine Democrats Should Recruit to Keep Platner Grassroots Support"

National Security Eleanor Vale The Institution 7/10/2026

Maine Democrats Should Recruit to Keep Platner Grassroots Support

After Graham Platner exited the Maine Senate race, Democrats must decide whether to chase a broader reset or prioritize a candidate who can hold together the volunteer, donor, and voter network he already built.

Editorial illustration for "States Should Require Parental Permission for Minors Downloading Apps"

National Security Selene Ward The Historian 7/7/2026

States Should Require Parental Permission for Minors Downloading Apps

Texas has begun enforcing a law that requires parental permission before minors can download most apps, and the real question is whether digital stores should be treated like a realm beyond the ordinary rules of child protection and parental authority.

Editorial illustration for "Federal Prosecution for National Mall Damage Is Justified"

National Security Selene Ward The Historian 7/4/2026

Federal Prosecution for National Mall Damage Is Justified

When individuals allegedly damage federal monuments and memorials, the administration should use ordinary legal process to protect public property, preserve national heritage, and show that national civic spaces are not beyond the reach of the law.

Editorial illustration for "Federal Officials Should Divest From Crypto Businesses in Office"

National Security Marcus Hale The Pragmatist 7/2/2026

Federal Officials Should Divest From Crypto Businesses in Office

A federal filing showing more than $1 billion in annual revenue from President Trump's family crypto businesses clarifies the real policy question: whether disclosure and recusal are enough when officeholders can personally benefit from federal crypto decisions.

Editorial illustration for "Elected Officials Must Disclose Extended Absences From Office"

National Security Mira Solenne The Regulator 7/1/2026

Elected Officials Must Disclose Extended Absences From Office

The dispute is not whether lawmakers deserve medical privacy, but whether constituents can be kept in the dark for months when their representative is absent from official duties and no explanation is offered.

Editorial illustration for "Why Accelerated Small Nuclear Reactor Testing Should Continue"

National Security Eleanor Vale The Institution 6/29/2026

Why Accelerated Small Nuclear Reactor Testing Should Continue

The federal government should keep expedited testing for new small nuclear reactor designs, not because safety matters less, but because modernized, centralized testing can produce safety evidence faster when the nation needs firm clean power, industrial capacity, and public accountability.

Editorial illustration for "The Senate Should Confirm Lance Schroyer to Lead ICE"

National Security Eleanor Vale The Institution 6/28/2026

The Senate Should Confirm Lance Schroyer to Lead ICE

President Trump's nomination of Lance Schroyer forces the Senate to choose between continued interim management at Immigration and Customs Enforcement and restoring confirmed, accountable leadership to a powerful federal agency.

Editorial illustration for "Former NOAA Staff Should Rebuild Discontinued Federal Data Websites"

National Security Cassian Ro The Accelerator 6/26/2026

Former NOAA Staff Should Rebuild Discontinued Federal Data Websites

When a new administration shuts down a government climate data website, former government employees should create independent replacements, because public access to essential federal data cannot be allowed to disappear with a political transition.

Editorial illustration for "Presidents Should Sign Bipartisan Bills Despite Party Infighting"

National Security Marcus Hale The Pragmatist 6/25/2026

Presidents Should Sign Bipartisan Bills Despite Party Infighting

When Congress passes a bipartisan bill, a president who withholds signature or ceremony over intra-party disagreements raises the cost of compromise and weakens the incentives that make government work.

Editorial illustration for "Why Falling Housing Prices Can Signal Regional Economic Health"

National Security Eleanor Vale The Institution 6/23/2026

Why Falling Housing Prices Can Signal Regional Economic Health

Lower Denver housing prices and rents can be a net positive when they reflect a correction rather than a collapse, but only coordinated public policy can turn affordability into durable regional economic strength.

Editorial illustration for "Alan Greenspan Did Not Deliver Net Positive Economic Outcomes"

National Security Eleanor Vale The Institution 6/22/2026

Alan Greenspan Did Not Deliver Net Positive Economic Outcomes

The dispute over Alan Greenspan's Federal Reserve legacy turns on whether years of growth and praise can outweigh a later financial crisis that reshaped how the United States judges central bank stewardship.

Editorial illustration for "Why a Presidential Approval Rating Below 40 Percent Signals Failure"

National Security Eleanor Vale The Institution 6/21/2026

Why a Presidential Approval Rating Below 40 Percent Signals Failure

President Trump's 36 percent job approval rating is not just a bad poll number but a measurable sign that executive leadership has lost the public trust and governing capacity required to address economic concerns and lead the nation effectively.

Editorial illustration for "The Peril of Unchecked Power and Why Safeguards Define True Merit"

National Security Mira Solenne The Regulator 6/19/2026

The Peril of Unchecked Power and Why Safeguards Define True Merit

The debate over diversity in military promotions exposes a critical vulnerability: the erosion of due process and the dangerous allure of 'merit' without guardrails.

Editorial illustration for "Why America Cannot Afford to Dismantle Intelligence Coordination"

National Security Eleanor Vale The Institution 6/19/2026

Why America Cannot Afford to Dismantle Intelligence Coordination

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence remains essential infrastructure against the chaos that killed 3,000 Americans on September 11th.