Month: November 2019

Note:  Because of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday there will be no questions posted for the week of November 25-December 1.  Questions will resume on December 2.

1. What effect might a mass Christian exodus have on the Middle East?
2. How can the international community bring Iran back to the table with regards to its nuclear weapons program?
3. Would the recognition of Bashar al-Assad as the winner of Syria’s civil war best help the nation get back on its feet?
4. Is Australia too dependent on China?
5. Should Iran try to step in and suppress the uprisings in Iraq and Lebanon?
6. Are Latin American states too divided to help stabilize Bolivia?
7. Why have attempts by the West to liberalize China failed?
8. Should President Trump pardon Roger Stone?
9. Is the upcoming British general election do or die for Jeremy Corbyn’s control for the Labour Party?
10. A year later: Did the yellow vest protests achieve their goals?

1. Will the Trump impeachment saga cost Democrats seats in the House in 2020?
2. If Mayor Pete were to win Iowa, does that open up a lane to win the Democratic presidential nomination?
3. Should college endowments be seized to pay off student loan debt?
4. Is Nikki Haley positioning herself for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024?
5. Should the sale of contraceptive products be made tax free?
6. Would universal background checks actually reduce gun crime?
7. Does President Trump have the constitutional authority to ditch DACA?
8. Is “hate speech” becoming too broadly labeled?
9. Has globalization been a net positive for the United States?
10. Is Ukraine a “critical ally” of the United States?

This week’s local results include competitions from Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee.  We also have the results of the Purdue University’s Boiler Clash.

If you would like us to post the results of your event, please send them along to [email protected].

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1. What should be the Republicans impeachment strategy?
2. Do the results of the 2019 gubernatorial elections bode well for Democrats in 2020?
3. How can the GOP stop the movement of suburban voters to the Democratic Party?
4. Can Michael Bloomberg win the Democratic presidential primary?
5. Is it Facebook’s responsibility to check the truthfulness of political ads on its platform?
6. Are underwater car loans becoming a growing problem for the U.S. economy?
7. Do conservative Democrats still have a place in the Democratic Party?
8. Will the California wildfires reduce the shine on Gavin Newsom’s political star?
9. Should the use of smartphones by children under the age of 14 be banned?
10. Can President Trump improve upon his share of the African-American vote in the 2020 presidential election?

1. Is NATO suffering from “brain death”?
2. Was Evo Morales’ resignation a victory for Bolivian democracy?
3. Is growing political fragmentation making it harder to govern European countries?
4. Should the IMF look to replicate its success in Jamaica with other borrower nations?
5. What will the next Spanish government look like?
6. Do leftist politicians have the answers for what ails Latin America?
7. What can India do to fix revive its manufacturing sector?
8. Should European governments allow Islamic State militants to return home?
9. Will Iran possess a nuclear bomb within the next five years?
10. Is it in Taiwan’s best interest to have close economic ties to China?

This week’s local results include competitions from Illinois, Kentucky, Nebraska, and Ohio.  We also have the results of the Bradley University’s L.E. Norton Invitational.

If you would like us to post the results of your event, please send them along to [email protected].

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In Gainesville, Florida on Halloween weekend, the 36th annual Florida Blue Key tournament took place. As per usual with Blue Key, the tournament was held with clean breaks. Differing from the usual, however, was the combining of the International Extemp and Domestic Extemp Section. This Mixed Extemporaneous Speaking pool drew in 120 competitors all over the nation, from California to Tennessee.

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1. Are Iraqi prison camps becoming a new breeding ground for Islamic extremism?
2. Should Brazil seek a closer relationship with China?
3. Will the next British general election resolve the Brexit question for good?
4. Could tensions between Colombia and Venezuela eventually lead to war?
5. Will Alberto Fernandez be able to fix what ails the Argentinian economy?
6. What does Russia seek in a multipolar world?
7. Are developing nations too vulnerable to cyber attacks?
8. Will Saad Hariri’s resignation satisfy Lebanon’s protesters?
9. Could global efforts to contain climate change and limit fossil fuel consumption cause political havoc in the Middle East?
10. Is rising regional inequality a threat to global stability?

1. Can Kayne West become the vehicle for another religious “Great Awakening” in the United States?
2. Is the next Democratic debate a “must win” for Joe Biden?
3. How can Pete Buttigieg grow his support among African-American voters?
4. Will the recent Chicago teacher strike hurt Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s political standing?
5. Was Representative Katie Hill’s resignation a victory or a setback for the #MeToo movement?
6. Does the U.S. Congress need to rein in presidential powers?
7. How might Paul Singer’s activism affect AT&T’s future operations?
8. Should New York close Rikers Island?
9. Has the American public turned its back on international military engagement?
10. Should progressive politicians embrace free trade?