Steve Chapman is a columnist and editorial writer for the Chicago Tribune.
The High Price Tag of the Obama Library
Legislators in broke Illinois are considering approving $100 million for the Barack Obama Presidential Library.
Steve Chapman
Latest from Steve Chapman
The Drone War's Secrets and Lies
If our government thinks it is justified in killing people, it shouldn't act like it has something to hide.
Hillary Clinton, the Unrepentant Hawk
Hillary Clinton is a long-standing and unblushing advocate of frequent military intervention abroad.
Democracy and Affirmative Action
Affirmative action supporters argue they should be free to establish the policy by amending state constitutions, but those who reject it should not.
What's Wrong With Victims' Rights?
If victims get higher priority, something else will have to get a lower priority-resulting in fewer arrests, fewer prosecutions or more clogged court dockets.
Obama and the Appeasement Myth
The stark fact is that Ukraine is not a place over which the U.S. and NATO should be ready to go to war, and nothing short of going to war will change its fate.
Harmless Drones Get Federal Flak
The FAA is throwing its weight around, not protecting the public.
A Democratic Dilemma on Legalizing Pot
There's only one thing standing in the way of the Democratic Party using the pot issue to win elections: Democratic politicians.
Rich People Will Always Beat Campaign Finance Restrictions
When Congress blocks off one avenue for funding political campaigns, millionaires find other routes-or bulldoze new ones through the wilderness.
Boots on the Ground in Ukraine?
Sending NATO forces to Ukraine is like walking into a biker bar with an acquaintance who has a real grudge against bikers.
NSA Surveillance and the Dangers of Power
The fact that Obama trusted himself with the NSA's surveillance powers is ample reason the rest of us shouldn't.
Obama's Overtime Gambit
For politicians, meddling in markets means never having to say you're sorry.
Putin's Illusory Triumph
If Putin were a foreign policy grandmaster, he wouldn't have pushed Ukrainians so far that they toppled the government he was propping up.
The CIA Reminds Us Who's Boss
Why do the people in charge of our security apparatus behave as though they can do whatever they want? Because no one has stopped them.
Sanctions Against Russia Are Futile
Experts are divided into two groups: those who think sanctions usually fail and those who think they almost always fail.
America Is Irrelevant in Ukraine
In Washington, many politicians assume the world revolves around us. The people in Moscow think it revolves around them.
Government Officials Fiddle While Public Pensions Burn
Elected officials have arrived at a formula that suits them well: Never do today what you can do tomorrow. And don't do it then, either.
Solitary Confinement and Its Costs
Our correctional institutions have made ever-increasing use of solitary confinement, a policy that is damaging and potentially catastrophic.
Put the Taxi Cartel in the Rearview Mirror
21st-century technology and entrepreneurial ingenuity are opening up the market for hired cars.
Farm Bill Sugar Supports Cost Consumers and Business
Government price supports for sugar drive candy production out of the country and hike prices for American consumers.
The Myth of 'Traditional Marriage'
Conservatives shouldn't think of gay marriage as a repudiation of the past. They should think of it as starting a new tradition.
Republicans See the Light on Immigration
The GOP takes small steps away from its infatuation with big government as a weapon against new citizens.
Our Wasted Effort in Afghanistan
We should acknowledge that there are some things even the world's sole superpower can't do, and fixing Afghanistan is one of them.
The No-Fly List Takes a Hit
For more than a decade, the federal government assumed it could consign thousands of Americans to travel purgatory without justifying itself to anyone. That may be changing.
The Bipartisan Commission Ruse
These panels are the equivalent of the participation awards handed out to every kid in little league.
Mass Surveillance Proves Pointless
Never have so many Americans been brought under surveillance for such a meager payoff.
Bob Gates Is Tired of War
Gates marched in Washington to protest the U.S. invasion of Cambodia. Under the former defense secretary's hawkish exterior, the antiwar impulse has never gone away.
Chris Christie and the Perils of Power
A wise citizenry would take this episode as a warning about the dangers of ceding control over our lives to the government.
Chicago Fights Gun Rights, and Loses
The city stubbornly insists on entering contests it is bound to lose.
A Ruling For Polygamy – and Freedom
The next step in expelling police and legislators from the bedrooms of consenting adults
Government's Eternal Excuses For Abuses of Power
Snowden should have known the Washington rule: Abuse power, and you'll be protected by those with power. Expose abuse, and you're on your own.
Minimum Wage Hikes Are Too Good To Be True
Despite high-flying promises, government can't decree the price of labor without killing jobs.
China Meets Its Own Worst Enemy: Itself
Excessive nationalism threatens the country's potential.
The New Case for Hunting
Hunters, tree-huggers, and animal welfare advocates should be allies.
Democracy and the Filibuster
Next thing you know we could be deciding all sorts of things by majority vote.
John F. Kennedy Set a Benchmark for Overambitious Government
JFK and LBJ set out to prove how much the U.S. government could accomplish. They ended up proving how little extravagance can buy.
Head Start and Other Federal Failures
No quantity of stirring words or noble intentions can justify expensive measures that leave little trace behind.
Obamacare Proves the Virtues of Federalism
As a federal program, Obamacare could never accommodate the many Americans who want a different approach.
The Folly of Arming TSA Agents
Because navigating the airport security gauntlet is already such a joy.
Obamacare Shows the Limits of Coerced "Solutions"
Don't expect the argument over the burdensome, costly policy to end anytime soon
The Underwhelming Reality of Medical Marijuana Laws
Legalizing pot will not bring about the end of civilization.
