Month: March 2021

1. Is the international order tilting toward autocracy?
2. What do the recent election results in Israel mean?
3. Is it realistic to expect North Korea to give up its nuclear arsenal as part of a broader agreement with other global powers?
4. Has Yemen been broken beyond repair?
5. Is Great Britain still a global power?
6. How will the recent Sino-Iran cooperation pact affect Middle Eastern power politics?
7. Will problems with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout cause Western European governments to do structural re-evaluations of their healthcare systems?
8. Is declining central bank independence weakening Turkey’s economic prospects?
9. Will OPEC agree to increase production at its next meeting?
10. What does the future hold for Mercosur?

1. Should Antonio Villaraigosa jump into the California recall race?
2. Is Kamala Harris’ new role in resolving issues on the U.S.-Mexican border more of an opportunity or a political risk?
3. What will be the political impact of “Stop Asian Hate” rallies?
4. Should streaming services have the right to modify content on their platforms that they find objectionable?
5. How much longer should the U.S. stay in Afghanistan?
6. Should the GOP modify their stance on gun control?
7. How should the Supreme Court rule in United States v. Cooley?
8. What grade does the Biden administration deserve for its response to COVID-19?
9. How big should a new infrastructure bill be?
10. Are there major disparities that the NCAA needs to fix between the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments?

1. Are social problems in America negatively affecting the nation’s foreign policy?
2. How can the Republican Party avoid bruising primary fights in 2022?
3. Will there be a strong economic recovery in the United States this summer?
4. Would school choice bills improve the quality of American public education?
5. Is immigration shaping up to be the most pivotal issue in the 2022 midterm elections?
6. How much longer should states keep their mask mandates?
7. Why are incidents of violence against America’s Asian community growing?
8. Should Derek Chauvin’s trial be taking place outside of Minneapolis?
9. To what extent is stagflation a risk for the U.S. economy?
10. Should the U.S. suspend security aid to Honduras?

1. Are Europe’s nationalist movements strengthening or falling apart?
2. Should the West back Turkey’s Syria plan?
3. How can the world’s democracies rally the forces of democratic governance across the globe?
4. Where did Europe go wrong on its vaccine rollout?
5. Why did Mark Rutte’s VVD win recent elections in the Netherlands?
6. To what extent should Venezuela’s opposition work with Maduro’s government to fight COVID-19?
7. What impact will recent sexual harrassment allegations have on Australia’s political environment?
8. Is Libya’s instability creating a security nightmare for its neighbors?
9. What should Honduras do if the U.S. suspends security aid?
10. Will ongoing protests against Myanmar’s new junta succeed?

We apologize for not having any questions posted last week because of internal problems on the website. Due to that, this week we have 20 questions for extempers instead of the usual ten!

• How badly has Jair Bolsonaro botched Brazil’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic?
• What role does Jordan need to play in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process?
• How can Nigeria better prevent mass kidnappings by terrorist organizations?
• Could Central American governments stop large migration with more U.S. aid?
• Should more governments embrace nuclear power to reduce carbon emissions?
• Are German efforts to place the Alternative for Germany Party under surveillance justified?
• Is the Nord Stream 2 pipeline creating major complications in forming a united European response to Russian activities on the continent?
• What can gay rights advocates across Africa do to achieve their goals?
• Is Haiti heading for another period of major political unrest?
• What might greater female representation in Kosovo’s political system mean for the nation’s future?
• How can nations reduce violence against women?
• Have international sanctions against Iran backfired?
• How much damage will Brexit do over the long-term to the British economy?
• Should developed nations share more of their COVID-19 vaccines with developing nations, even if all of their citizens have not had the opportunity to be vaccinated?
• Is global monetary policy in disarray?
• Will Mexico’s new energy law prove disastrous?
• Is Angela Merkel losing her touch?
• Should Lula da Silva seek the Brazilian presidency in 2022?
• Is Russia successfully making inroads in Africa?
• What will it take to make Syria whole again?

We apologize for not having any questions posted last week because of internal problems on the website. Due to that, this week we have 20 questions for extempers instead of the usual ten!

1. Will the Biden stimulus plans create significant inflation in the U.S. economy?
2. Should Democrats scrap the Iowa caucus?
3. Will Andrew Cuomo resign?
4. Is the Biden administration’s position on immigration creating a new crisis at America’s Southern border?
5. How much should the Republican Party distance itself from President Trump?
6. Should Democrats make abolishing the filibuster a central piece of their 2022 midterm campaigns?
7. Will spring break create a fourth surge of COVID in the United States?
8. What steps should state governments take to better tackle fraud in their unemployment systems?
9. Will rising gasoline prices drag down a post-COVID economic recovery?
10. Is “cancel culture” becoming a problematic social issue for the political left?
11. Should the Biden administration try to work with Mitch McConnell on bipartisan legislation?
12. Would the unionization of Amazon’s warehouse in Bessemer revive the fortunes of the American labor movement?
13. Should the federal government increase subsidies for those buying healthcare plans as part of the Affordable Care Act?
14. Does the U.S. need a national commission to examine the history of racial injustice?
15. Does the U.S. need to increase funding for its space program?
16. What lessons should the U.S. learn from the COVID-19 pandemic?
17. Can Herschel Walker win Georgia’s Senate seat in 2022?
18. Will private schools be one of the big winners in a post-COVID world?
19. What regulations, if any, should the U.S. create on Big Tech?
20. Will Ohio Governor Mike DeWine win re-election next year?

1. Should the Biden administration escalate American involvement in the Syrian Civil War?
2. Will Neera Tanden win confirmation?
3. Should the Department of Homeland Security be given greater powers to squelch domestic terrorists?
4. How can Vice President Kamala Harris build her own brand for a 2024 or 2028 presidential run?
5. Should states provide tax incentives for cryptocurrency miners?
6. Is the U.S. on the verge of reaching herd immunity for COVID-19?
7. Should the Biden administration discontinue use of the federal death penalty?
8. Is it finally time for the U.S. to fully invest in a human mission to Mars?
9. Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson: 2024 presidential contender or pretender?
10. Should the U.S. adopt Israeli-style vaccine passports?

1. What should a new IMF plan for Argentina look like?
2. How can international institutions become more inclusive?
3. Will a CEO swap at Petrobras prove costly to the Brazilian economy?
4. Should Mahmoud Ahmadinejad seek the Iranian presidency?
5. What reforms should President Felix Tshisekedi seek in the Democratic Republic of Congo?
6. Will “green politics” become Europe’s next political battleground?
7. Are North Korea’s cyberwarfare capabilities a bigger threat to the world than its nuclear weapons?
8. Will China’s vaccine diplomacy pay dividends?
9. Should Iran become part of the Eurasian Economic Union?
10. Is the Horn of Africa winning its battle against locust swarms?