Steve Chapman is a columnist and editorial writer for the Chicago Tribune.
What's Worse than Horse Slaughter?
When it comes to government action, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Steve Chapman
Latest from Steve Chapman
Why Prosecutors Should Push for Life in Prison--Not the Death Penalty--for James Holmes
The Illusory Value of the Death Penalty
The Supreme Court's Latest Drug Dog Ruling Has a Downside
When a man's home is no longer his castle.
Our Fruitless Quest for Missile Defense
We've spent 30 years and $200 billion, and what have we got to show for it?
What We Learned in Iraq
Ten years ago this week, Americans were about to be introduced to a strange new concept: "catastrophic success."
"Moderate Muslim" Is Not an Oxymoron
Islamophobes believe there's something intrinsically incompatible about Muslims and free countries. They're wrong.
More Americans Than Ever Are Free to Gamble
For decades, Nevada was the only state where gambling was allowed.
Communism, Crime, and the Republican Eclipse
Like a football has-been, is the GOP no longer relevant?
The Push For a Higher Minimum Wage Ignores Economic Reality
The push for minimum wage ignores low income earners.
Making Sense of North Korea
Time to admit that North Korea wants a nuclear arsenal more than anything else.
How Litigation Threatens Professional Football
Lawsuits from injured players may spell the end of the NFL.
Bogus Fears About Immigration Reform
The latest immigration reform proposal will not lead to amnesty.
Is China Becoming Less Authoritarian?
Thanks to capitalism, the sphere of personal autonomy in China is now vastly larger than it was in the dark days of Mao Zedong.
Will Obama Shun 'Perpetual War'?
Peace is not really peace-it's just a term we use for that brief interval between invasions.
The War on Pot: Not a Safe Bet
The worst you can say about pot is that it produces intense, unreasoning panic-in drug warriors.
Gun Control's Potemkin Village
Most measures will have little or no effect on the problems they are supposed to address
An Exercise in Fiscal Evasion
Congress and the White House do nothing about the ever-expanding federal budget.
2012: From Arab Spring to Early Winter
From Egypt to Syria to Russia, reactionary forces are on the rise.
Wrong Answers for Mass Shootings
Rounding up the usual suspects: certain firearms, mental illness, and video games
The Irrelevance of "Right-to-Work" Laws
The battle over labor laws makes for great theater, but for the most part, theater is all it is.
Gun Rights Find a New Home
A federal appeals court rules Illinois cannot maintain its flat ban on concealed-carry.
The Unlikelihood of President Hillary
The public seems to like Hillary a lot better when she's far removed from the presidency.
Defending the World, Bankrupting Ourselves
After decades of American protection, our friends can form their own alliances to confront any adversary.
Higher Taxes, Smaller Government?
To curb spending, Republicans will have to insist on clear, enforceable measures to induce greater discipline, and stick to them.
How the Consumer Became King
Stores don't open on Thanksgiving because they want to; they open because shoppers reward those that do.
A Losing Immigration Strategy
To say we need more enforcement to seal the border is like saying we should re-invade Iraq.
The Future of Republican Support for the Electoral College
Will conservatives still favor it if Democrats win the White House despite losing the popular vote?
Situation Lousy, Don't Change a Thing
Voters may say they want forward-looking reforms, but they consistently vote otherwise.
How a Bitter Election Will End
When the votes are counted, the winner will be gracious and the loser will be conciliatory.
The Candidates' Trade Nonsense
Both candidates indulge the superstition that while exports are good, imports and outsourcing are bad.
The Tax Reform Mirage
Washington insiders think the stars are aligned to dramatically simplify the tax code and broaden the tax base.
Foreign Policy Surprises Ahead
If we've learned anything from past campaigns, it's that the winner will have an unpredictable foreign policy.
Myths of Iraq and Afghanistan
There is a term for a war that is always "succeeding" but never concluding: a failure.
Obama's Lack of Vision, and Other Good News
When politicians get colossal ideas, libertarians should get nervous.
Fighting Crime in Cook County by Taxing Bullets?
Criminals will never pay the tax, law-abiding citizens will rarely pay it, and the county will get little revenue.
Shafted by the Electoral College
At this point, only nine states are deemed worthy of attention by Obama and Romney.
Mitt's Mormonism Doesn't Matter
Americans have no trouble remembering that they are electing a president. Deciding who gets into Heaven? They'll leave that to someone else.
Will Pot Become Legal?
Weed would remain illegal under federal law, but good luck to the feds trying to enforce that ban if a state abandons it.
Chicago Teachers' Strike Illustrates the Need for Choice
Collective bargaining agreements are often an impediment to innovation, efficiencies, and the elevation of standards.
Mitt Romney's Dependency Delusions
Easing the tax burden on those who have the least was not always anathema to conservatives.
Why Obama Is the Weakest President Since Ronald Reagan
The embassy attacks won't trump all the other things Obama has done.
