Month: February 2020

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of February 24-March 1, 2020

1. Is it time for moderate Democrats to “feel the Bern”?
2. Who will win the South Carolina Democratic presidential primary?
3. If the Ninth Circuit becomes more conservative, how will that affect judicial decisions on the West Coast?
4. Will President Trump’s approval ratings ever go above fifty percent?
5. Did the Las Vegas presidential debate do major damage to Michael Bloomberg’s candidacy?
6. Is big tech a threat to U.S. national security interests?
7. What cuts should the U.S. make to defense spending?
8. Should Elizabeth Warren end her presidential campaign?
9. Do climate activists need to embrace nuclear power to make their message more viable?
10. Has an improved U.S. economy strengthened the Social Security system?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of February 24-March 1, 2020

1. Should Great Britain extradite Julian Assange to the United States?
2. Could the coronavirus lead to the cancellation of the Tokyo Olympics?
3. Has the EU failed Libya?
4. What role should Great Britain play in countering China’s geopolitical aims?
5. Should Russia increase its outreach to the Kurds?
6. Are the prospects of an “Asian Century” dwindling?
7. If the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan, would the country be better off than it is today?
8. Is Turkey strengthening its position in the Easter Mediterranean?
9. Should Uruguay embrace austerity measures?
10. Which multi-nation institution is best suited to combat East Africa’s locust outbreak?

Additional Extemp Practice Questions from the Harvard National Forensic Tournament

The Harvard National Forensic Tournament has posted the questions used at this year’s competition, which took place on Harvard’s campus last weekend.

To access the questions, please click on this link.

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of February 18-24, 2020

1. Is AMLO failing to curtail Mexico’s crime problem?
2. Can the ICC convict Omar al-Bashir on genocide charges?
3. Is the Grand Renaissance Dam a major threat to Egypt’s economic future?
4. Should global efforts to curtail the coronavirus focus more on mitigation rather than containment?
5. Can the IMF fix what ails Lebanon’s economy?
6. Should economic sanctions be imposed on Brazil if more aggressive efforts are not made to stop deforestation in the Amazon?
7. Does Justin Trudeau need to play a more active role in resolving the dispute over the Coastal GasLink Pipeline?
8. Is Abbas’ influence in Palestinian affairs shrinking?
9. Does NATO still need Turkey?
10. Can Iran afford to maintain its current rate of military spending?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of February 18-24, 2020

1. Which Democrat will win the Nevada caucus?
2. Are Michael Bloomberg’s chances of winning the Democratic presidential nomination increasing?
3. Would Major League Baseball’s contraction plan do major damage to local communities?
4. Is there a ceiling on how much support Bernie Sander’s presidential candidacy can garner?
5. If there was a major coronavirus outbreak in the United States, would it cause a recession?
6. Would a renewed national assault weapons ban reduce crime rates?
7. Do “red flag” laws violate the Second Amendment?
8. Should the U.S. halt the sale of aircraft parts to China?
9. Was Roger Stone’s original sentence unfair?
10. Would it be politically wise for President Trump to engage in a crackdown on sanctuary cities?

2019-2020 Extemp Season Winter Update

by Daniel Kind

The Winter months of the season are often the most important and jam-packed for the entire extemp community. With at least six major national tournaments, as well as the Montgomery Bell Academy Round Robin occurring in these three months, this time is often the crux of the season. Given our brief winter hiatus in the latest tournament results, Extemp Central is now updating the community of the tournaments we missed over the winter.

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of February 10-16, 2020

1. Should Tom Perez still be the chairman of the Democratic National Committee?
2. Will the Iowa caucus fiasco cause Iowa to lose its “first-in-the-nation” status?
3. Is Joe Biden’s presidential candidacy on the ropes?
4. Was President Trump’s State of the Union a success?
5. Will Senator Susan Collins vote to acquit President Trump significantly harm her re-election prospects?
6. Would an effort to censure President Trump achieved greater bipartisanship than impeachment?
7. Does the United States healthcare system need more privatization or more government intervention?
8. Why are American voters so unhappy?
9. Does Rush Limbaugh deserve the Presidential Medal of Freedom?
10. Will there be fewer private colleges operating in America within the next two decades?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of February 10-16, 2020

1. Are greater global protections needed for migrant laborers?
2. Can greater regional cooperation prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon?
3. Will Belarus become the next Ukraine?
4. Is the coronavirus outbreak creating a major threat to the Chinese Communist Party’s rule?
5. Does Colombia need more liberal trade rules?
6. Is Joseph Kabila still the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s most powerful political figure?
7. Does the French government need to do more to protect its Jewish population?
8. Will the twenty-first century be the age of global autocracy?
9. Is it time for a united Ireland?
10. Should NATO pivot to Greece as Turkey becomes more wary of the West?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of February 3-9, 2020

1. Is the coronavirus triggering a wave of anti-Chinese sentiment across the world?
2. Was the Arab League justified in rejecting President Trump’s Middle East peace plan?
3. Is dollarization creating even more economic hardship in Venezuela?
4. Would the world be better off without American leadership?
5. Is free speech in Brazil becoming less free?
6. Will the coronavirus do significant damage to China’s economy?
7. After Brexit, who will take Britain’s place in the EU?
8. Could Muqtada al-Sadr fix what ails Iraq?
9. Should European countries re-embrace nuclear energy to get away from a dependence on Russian natural gas?
10. Is India’s economy growing?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of February 3-9, 2020

1. Would a prolonged Democratic presidential primary weaken the eventual nominee for the general election?
2. Was the DNC justified in changing its debate rules to include Michael Bloomberg?
3. Is there too much technology in the U.S. education system?
4. Should medical treatments for transgender children be prohibited until those children reach eighteen?
5. Will the Senate’s conduct during President Trump’s impeachment trial impact the 2020 Senate races in a meaningful way?
6. Should the U.S. withdraw from playing a future role in the Middle East peace process?
7. Is the Trump administration doing enough to prevent a large-scale coronavirus outbreak?
8. Should there be a legal requirement for all adults to get the flu vaccine each year?
9. Would it be in Facebook’s best interest to get a new leader?
10. Should Democrats welcome Hillary Clinton’s participation in the upcoming general election?

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