Month: November 2012

Here are your extemp questions for the week of November 26, 2012:

United States

Will the search for Schapiro’s replacement for the SEC be compromised by infighting this political season?

Will Chris Christie’s current popularity translate into a realistic shot at the 2016 Republican presidential nomination?

Will the Benghazi fallout block Susan Rice from confirmation as the new US Secretary of State?

Will the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision to block the Illinois law prohibiting recording of police officers signal the beginning of the end for such laws nationally?

Do rising house prices indicate that the US housing slump is finally over?

Does Romney’s visit to the White House present an opportunity for the advancement of a bipartisan agenda for the “fiscal cliff”?

Will new state-level supermajorities interfere with Obama’s 2nd term agenda?

Should Senate Republicans agree to Harry Reid’s fillibuster reform proposal?

Can Republicans reach a deal on the fiscal cliff without facing fallout from the Norquist Pledge?

Will state-level resistance to Obamacare be an energizing factor for the Tea Party, or a death knell?

International

Is Mohammed Morsi a liability to Egypt’s future stability?

How will Israel’s “Iron Dome” missile interceptors affect the prospects for peace with Palestine?

Can Tzipi Livni unseat Netanyahu in the upcoming Israeli elections?

Will Russian financial support allow Assad to maintain power in Syria?

Has Iraq seen the last of widespread sectarian violence?

Will China’s growing naval strength increase the chances of conflict over regional maritime territorial disputes?

What should Mario Monti’s replacement do to prevent the Italian government from backsliding from the progress of his administration?

How will the election of a separatist majority to Catalonia’s regional government affect Spain’s efforts to revitalize its economy?

Will the SLPP’s decision to protest Sierra Leone’s election results hamper Koroma’s 2nd term plans?

Does Singapore’s bus driver strike signal a revival of organized labor in Singapore?

Here are your extemp questions for the week of November 12, 2012:

United States

Is Apple’s upper-management shakeup the right move for the company?

After Sandy, does the US have the political will to enact major reforms to address climate change?

Will Colorado and Washington’s marijuana legalization plans be derailed by federal intervention?

Does 2012 mark a “turning point” victory for advocates of gay marriage in the US?

Will the combative rhetoric of the 2012 campaign stymie bipartisanship in the new Congress?

What can Cathy McMorris Rodgers do to improve the GOP’s electoral prospects with American women?

Will recent secession petitions have any effect on the relationship between the federal and state governments?

Would the revelation of a Benghazi cover-up cripple the incoming Obama administration?

Would Democrats be better off replacing Nancy Pelosi as House Minority Leader?

Will the post-2012 election focus on Latino voters finally result in comprehensive immigration reform?

International

Is the rise of Greek ultra-nationalism a serious threat to Greek democracy?

Should Chile bring back compulsory voting?

Will recent violent confrontations in Myanmar lead to a roll-back of democratic reforms?

Will the IDF’s use of Twitter during “Pillar of Defense” boost the legitimacy of Israel’s military campaign?

Will Savita Halappanavar’s death bring changes to Ireland’s abortion policies?

Will UN intervention pacify the growing chaos in Northern Mali?

Does India possess the political will to substantially reform the welfare system?

What should the new Chinese leadership do to stabilize the country’s economic prospects?

Has the threat of Indian Ocean piracy been effectively neutralized?

Will a unified Syrian opposition finally be able to garner international support for its bid to dump Bashar al-Assad?