Month: August 2020

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of August 31-September 6, 2020

1. Was the Republican National Convention successful?
2. Does globalism hurt America’s national interest?
3. Is Biden’s electoral momentum at risk of stalling out?
4. Will President Trump gain more support among African-American voters than he did in 2016?
5. Is it financially wise for American sports leagues to become more political?
6. What is the future of New York City?
7. Should the Democratic Party worry about regaining the votes of the working class?
8. Will the Supreme Court undermine the ACA’s insurance mandate this fall?
9. Should the Hyde Amendment be scrapped?
10. Does the federal government have the constitutional authority to make a COVID vaccine mandatory?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of August 31-September 6, 2020

1. What are the implications of a Revolutionary Guard takeover of the Iranian government?
2. Is it in Turkey’s national interest to remain part of NATO or join a Russia-China axis?
3. What will be Shinzo Abe’s historical legacy?
4. Does Thailand need to reform its monarchy?
5. Should India develop stronger ties with Middle Eastern nations?
6. Who is most to blame for the misery in the Gaza Strip?
7. Is the liberal international order worth saving?
8. Has Europe failed in the Sahel?
9. What long-term impacts will COVID-19 have on the global economy?
10. Has the West won the war on terrorism?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of August 24-30, 2020

1. Could the ongoing protests in Belarus create political change?
2. Can the EU be an effective mediator of Turkish and Greece claims in the Eastern Mediterranean?
3. Are governments becoming too reliant on scientific management?
4. How will the resignation of Bill Morneau hurt the Trudeau administration in the long run?
5. Are China’s actions in Hong Kong a trial run for Taiwan?
6. Will Oman’s ambitious reforms succeed?
7. How will Brunei’s upcoming chairmanship of ASEAN affect the organization’s relationship with China?
8. Are predictions of Bolsonaro’s demise exaggerated?
9. Should the EU do more to clean up Bulgaria’s corruption?
10. Which Arab nation will be the next to recognize Israel?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of August 24-30, 2020

1. Was the virtual Democratic National Convention a success?
2. Should there be a constitutional amendment limiting the scope and power of executive orders?
3. If you were advising President Trump, what advice would you give him to make a comeback against Joe Biden?
4. Why is there a disconnect between stock market gains and Main Street pain?
5. How would a Biden administration change U.S. foreign policy toward Venezuela?
6. Is the federal government doing enough to help rural America?
7. Why have minority communities been affected more by COVID-19?
8. Will the response to COVID-19 shape President Trump’s legacy?
9. Should police forces be disarmed?
10. What was most responsible for California’s recent wave of blackouts?

New Resource: The Extemper’s Bible

During this pandemic, it’s been difficult for most extempers to keep up with the activity and find the resources they need to succeed. Accordingly, the Extemper’s Bible is trying to solve that problem. A diverse mix of high school and graduating extempers, we’ve worked hard to create a new website — the Extemper’s Bible — which we hope can serve as a hub of all-things-extemp, including strategy pieces, weekly questions & quizzes, interviews, topic analyses, and more.

Beyond that, we hope to democratize the process of getting access to critical camp resources. In fact, just this summer, our team ran a free online camp that attracted nearly 100 students from across the country and featured lectures from recent finalists and champions at NSDA, NCFL, Harvard, MBA, and more. The kicker? All of these recorded lectures and their corresponding presentations can be found on our website! We’ve truly worked hard to make sure this project will remain active for the foreseeable future by reaching out to underclassmen extempers and alumni alike. And we hope that this organization can leave a lasting mark on the extemp community, just as Extemp Central has done. Please check out our website, offer your input, and let us know if you’re interested in joining our team!

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of August 17-23, 2020

1. Will Kamala Harris bolster Biden’s presidential hopes?
2. How might the Black Lives Matter movement impact U.S. education policy?
3. Should U.S. universities reduce tuition if they do distance learning classes for the entire fall semester?
4. How can federal officials help to make sure that the USPS is able to deliver election ballots on time?
5. Does the U.S. need a stronger navy to counter a rising China?
6. Will there be a safe COVID-19 vaccine by this fall?
7. How can the GOP recapture votes in the suburbs?
8. Should all high school sports be halted until the spring?
9. How would a Biden presidency reshape U.S. foreign policy?
10. Is Mayor Lori Lightfoot losing control of Chicago?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of August 17-23, 2020

1. Does the Israel-UAE accord lay the foundation for a broader Middle East peace agreement?
2. What steps can Boris Johnson take to boost Britain’s economy?
3. Is Evo Morales resposible for Bolivia’s poor COVID response?
4. Will the Beirut port explosion do significant damage to Hezbollah’s power?
5. Are Australia’s internal travel restrictions too severe?
6. Should the world impose significant sanctions on Belarus after its recent presidential election?
7. If Fethullah Gulen was extradited, would it undermine Erdogan’s power?
8. Has the Internet been a boon for the global human rights struggle?
9. Are more international conventions needed with regards to satellite warfare?
10. What reforms does South Africa need to make to its police forces?

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

1. How would a political revolution in Lebanon affect Israeli-Syrian relations?
2. What steps can Saudi Arabia take to increase its control of global oil markets?
3. Has the COVID-19 pandemic hurt global populist movements?
4. Are global arms control agreements collapsing?
5. Is it in Russia’s best interests to have close ties with Iran?
6. Will Duterte get to change the Filipino constitution?
7. Is Israel emerging as a peacemaker in the Middle East?
8. How should global investors view Zimbabwe’s recent agreement to compensate evicted white farmers?
9. Is the democratic status of various Latin American states on the decline?
10. What values should be at the core of the EU’s foreign policy?

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

1. Should local governments use digital surveillance tools to control the spread of COVID-19?
2. How many Senate seats will Democrats gain this November?
3. Does President Trump’s recent payroll tax cut proposal threaten the viability of Social Security and Medicare?
4. If President Trump loses in November, who will assume the mantle as leader of the Republican Party?
5. Will an increase in the use of homeschooling in America be one of the long-term impacts of COVID-19?
6. Is the Department of Homeland Security becoming a rogue agency?
7. Are the Trump administration’s concerns about TikTok valid?
8. Will COVID-19 get worse during the winter?
9. Should the U.S. draw down its forces in South Korea?
10. Could New York’s efforts to dissolve the NRA provide a boost for the GOP this November?

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

1. Can greater regional cooperation help the U.S. become less reliant on Chinese supplies?
2. Will Susan Collins win re-election?
3. Should the Republican National Convention be open to the press?
4. Is Joe Biden’s lead over President Trump in election polls artificially high?
5. Should all American schools start the year with distance learning?
6. Is “Big Tech” a threat to Internet freedom?
7. What should be included in the next COVID stimulus bill?
8. Is U.S. foreign policy overmilitarized?
9. Will police reforms in major cities trigger a new crime wave?
10. Should California voters approve Proposition 16 this fall?

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

Welcome back for the 2020-2021 season (in whatever form it takes).  Check back here every Monday for free IX and USX questions and feel free to make a donation if you find them helpful.  We will also be doing some adjustments to our state champions and past champions pages, so if you have results that are not listed, feel free to send them our way.

1. Will “vaccine nationalism” make it harder to combat COVID nationally?
2. Does Brazil have fires in the Amazon under control?
3. Is Tanzania’s economy growing as fast as its government claims?
4. How can Italy make itself more business friendly?
5. Is the UAE’s nuclear power plant a threat to peace in the Middle East?
6. How quickly might the global economy recover post-COVID?
7. Is India becoming the next global coronavirus hotspot?
8. Will Alexander Lukashenko lose Belarus’ presidential election?
9. Is Russia fast-tracking a COVID vaccine too quickly?
10. Has Buhari’s war against Boko Haram failed?

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