Category: International Extemp Page 55 of 59

Extemp Questions for the Week of October 7th-13th, 2008

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On October 7, 2008

In International Extemp, U.S. Extemp, Weekly Questions

1. How can the world stop the financial crisis?

2. Is the war in Afghanistan lost?

3. Will the Ayers attacks weigh down Obama?

4. Which party has the most to lose from the financial crisis?

5. How would Jacob Zuma reshape South African politics?

6. Are the culture wars dangerous for the U.S. political system?

7. Will federal money save the U.S. auto industry?

8. Should the West embrace Belarus?

9. Why is the EU in disarray over its climate change policy?

10. How can the music industry best combat piracy?

Topic Brief: South African Politics (2008)

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On October 7, 2008

In International Extemp, Topic Brief

Background

Over the last several weeks, international extempers have most likely read about the recent political developments in South Africa, arguably the strongest power on the African continent.  For those extempers that have not had a chance to catch up on these developments, Thabo Mbeki is no longer president of the country.  After a prolonged political struggle between Jacob Zuma, who was Mr. Mbeki’s deputy president (a position most akin to vice-president in the United States) and who deposed Mr. Mbeki as leader of the African National Congress (ANC) in December, it appears that Mr. Zuma has won.  This victory came within the span of a month when Mr. Zuma was first acquitted of fraud and corruption charges based on a judicial technicality.  The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the body of the South African judiciary who initiates criminal cases for the government, was said in the dismissal of the charges to have been influenced in its prosecution by Mr. Mbeki and his supporters.  This finding by the judge overseeing Mr. Zuma’s case gave weight to charges, long echoed by Mr. Zuma’s supporters that Mr. Mbeki has been an overzealous president who has been intolerant of political opposition and that Mr. Mbeki has been willing to use the instruments of the state to clamp down on this dissent.  On September 20th, the ANC decided that Mr. Mbeki should resign his post in order to end the political struggle that has gripped the country for three years.

Having set the background, this brief will give an overview of the structure and history of South Africa’s political system, the current state of the government, and what challenges that government faces in the future.

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Extemp Questions for the Week of September 30th-October 6th, 2008

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On September 30, 2008

In International Extemp, U.S. Extemp, Weekly Questions

1. Why did the bailout bill fail?

2. Are workplace raids an effective deterent to illegal immigration?

3. Will the failed bailout hurt the GOP in November?

4. How should the world fight piracy off of Somali’s coast?

5. Is a complete Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank feasible?

6. Why is India seeing an increase in homegrown terrorism?

7. How important is the upcoming vice-presidential debate between Biden and Palin?

8. Will Ecuador’s new constitution be a boon for the country?

9. Is the Berlusconi government to blame for xenophobic attacks on foreigners?

10. Are voters perceptions of the economy locked in?

Topic Brief: Zimbabwe Unity Government

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On September 30, 2008

In International Extemp, Topic Brief

Overview

President Robert Mugabe and his main rival agreed to divide control of the police and army and strike a delicate balance in Zimbabwe’s Cabinet — but their power-sharing deal will be under enormous pressure from long-simmering differences and economic collapse. Some members of opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai’s party have already complained that the compromise didn’t do enough to sideline Mugabe.  Western nations poised to send in sorely needed aid and investment also are wary of the man accused of holding onto power through violence and fraud and ruining the economy of what had been southern Africa’s breadbasket.

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Extemp Questions for the Week of September 23rd-29th, 2008

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On September 23, 2008

In International Extemp, U.S. Extemp, Weekly Questions

1. Is Congressional resistance to the federal government’s economic rescue plan justified?

2. Will Tzipi Livni be able to form a government?

3. Can Taro Aso reverse the LDP’s political fortunes?

4. Is early voting a good idea?

5. Why did Mbeki resign?

6. Who is the biggest winner of the mess on Wall Street?

7. Will there be a political impact to the Chinese tainted milk scandal?

8. If the Muslim Brotherhood won power in Egypt, how would it change the dynamics of the Middle East?

9. Should standardized tests be administered in public universities?

10. How should the U.S. respond if North Korea restarts its nuclear program?

Extemp Questions for the Week of September 16th-22nd, 2008

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On September 16, 2008

In International Extemp, U.S. Extemp, Weekly Questions

1. Should the U.S. have bailed out Lehman Brothers?

2. How should the Obama camp take on Palin?

3. What do recent elections say about Angola?

4. How should the U.S. rethink the war on cancer?

5. Are voting irregularities fixed in time for the 2008 presidential election?

6. Can Stephen Harper and the conservatives win a majority in the upcoming Canadian elections?

7. Should Russia be expelled from the G8?

8. Will the recently brokered Zimbabwe power sharing agreement hold?

9. Should the EU admit Ukraine?

10. Will the U.S. Congress ratify the India nuclear deal?

Topic Brief: Russia’s Foreign Policy

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On September 15, 2008

In International Extemp, Topic Brief

topicbriefBy Sebastian Pyrek

Recent events in the Georgian breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, with a special focus on the Russian involvement in the former republic, are strong evidence that Russia is undergoing another resurgence on the international stage. Nearly two decades have passed since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, but there is a strong nationalistic spirit that never fell has returned to power; spearheaded by former President and current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin this movement has allowed the Russian phoenix to rise from the ashes of the USSR and regain its power on the international stage. Russia’s involvement in Ukrainian and Belarusian politics, Estonian and Georgian post-soviet sovereignty, and international energy markets (to name a few) shows that Russia’s intentions are egocentric at best. Russia‘s recent posturing indicates that its leadership rejects the idea that the international community should be monopolar with the USA in power.[1]

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How IR Theory Can Cure Your IX Problems

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On September 15, 2008

In International Extemp, Strategy

by Hunter Kendrick

What am I Missing?

Let’s face it: there is no such thing as a perfect speech. Competing in an innumerable amount of rounds has taught me one thing – the winner isn’t the immaculate speaker, but the speaker who makes the fewest mistakes. Of course, you can always “cover-up” what mistakes you do make by wowing the judges in other areas. And, perhaps the easiest way to wow your audience is to have complex analysis.

Whether you’re a seasoned champion or someone completely new to the event, it’s clear to all that extemp gets “deep.” What I mean is that a speech is not just a collection of random facts, it is the weaving of those facts together into a cohesive answer to the question. Competitors and audience members are often looking for the “deeper meaning” or the “connection.” Sometimes it is easy to find the connection, other times it takes more effort. But, when discussing international relations, it is actually easier to find that deeper meaning than most people seem to believe at first. And, successfully finding those themes (and incorporating them correctly into a speech) can be the jumpstart a speaker needs to propel them towards success.

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Extemp Questions for the Week of September 9th-15th, 2008

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On September 9, 2008

In International Extemp, U.S. Extemp, Weekly Questions

1. Is John McCain’s surge in the polls sustainable?

2. Are bilateral trade deals more beneficial than multilateral ones?

3. Was the government’s takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac necessary?

4. How would North Korea be different without Kim Jong Il?

5. Should California change its budget-making process?

6. Was the recent EU-brokered Georgia-Russia peace deal a farce?

7. Is the state of US-Libyan relations one of President Bush’s top foreign policy achievements?

8. Should the world do more to assist improverished countries prepare for natural disasters?

9. Should Gordon Brown have endorsed Barack Obama?

10. Is Mexico making progress in its fight against corruption?

Extemp Questions for the Week of September 2nd-8th, 2008

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On September 2, 2008

In International Extemp, U.S. Extemp, Weekly Questions

1. Is Palin the right VP choice for McCain?

2. Were the GOP’s convention changes appropriate?

3. Should the U.S. be concerned about China’s space program?

4. What does the next generation of Libyan politics look like?

5. Who will be the next Japanese prime minister?

6. Is South Ossetia like Kosovo?

7. What has caused the recent outbreak of political violence in Thailand?

8. Is Europe too indecisive on Russia?

9. Has the U.S. begun to forget about Iraq?

10. What political fallout, if any, will come from the handling of Hurricane Gustav?

Extemp Questions for the Week of August 26th-September 1st, 2008

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On August 26, 2008

In International Extemp, U.S. Extemp, Weekly Questions

questions1. Was Joe Biden the right vice-presidential pick for Obama?

2. What is the future of traditional news outlets?

3. Is Russia serious in its threats to use military force to deter a U.S. missile defense shield in Europe?

4. Will disaffected Hillary voters give John McCain the 2008 election?

5. Were the Chinese Olympics a success?

6. Why have Cristina Kirchner’s poll ratings nosedived?

7. What can Southeast Asian nations do to deter sex tourism?

8. Should the West fear sovereign wealth funds?

9. Will Russia’s actions in Georgia change the political equation in Ukraine?

10. Will the U.S. leave Iraq during the next presidential administration?

Extemp Questions for the Week of August 19th-25th, 2008

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On August 19, 2008

In International Extemp, U.S. Extemp, Weekly Questions

1. Which presidential candidate gained more in their meeting with Rick Warren?

2. With Musharraf out of the picture, is Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal safe?

3. Can McCain afford to pick a pro-choice running mate?

4. Is a military strike the only way to stop Iran’s nuclear program?

5. Has the National League for Democracy lost its influence in Myanmar?

6. Should Kwame Kilpatrick resign?

7. Will Evo Morales’ win of a recall referendum allow him to break the constitutional deadlock in Bolivia?

8. Can a power sharing agreement work in Zimbabwe?

9. Should the U.S. be more aggressive in the war against cancer?

10. Why is the dollar on the rebound?

Extemp Questions for the Week of August 12th-18th, 2008

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On August 12, 2008

In International Extemp, U.S. Extemp, Weekly Questions

1. What are Russia’s war aims in Georgia?

2. Are the media biased for Obama?

3. How will Graham Greene govern Paraguay?

4. Has energy become the #1 issue of the 2008 election?

5. Is the ANC on the verge of a split?

6. Was the Filipino Supreme Court order to a halt a government-MILF peace deal unwise?

7. Are the Chinese Olympics reminescent of 1936 or 1988?

8. Is Italy’s use of troops to combat a recent crime wave too extreme?

9. Why is the Iraqi government open to a timetable for a U.S. withdrawal?

10. Is the U.S. prepared for a cyber war attack?

Extemp Questions for the Week of August 5th-11th, 2008

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On August 5, 2008

In International Extemp, U.S. Extemp, Weekly Questions

1. Is John McCain’s campaign guilty of using race to its advantage?

2. Will the decline in American gas prices continue?

3. Are border fences an effective immigration policy?

4. Will the recent ruling by Turkey’s constitutional court in regards to the AK Party bring a measure of stability to Turkey’s political system?

5. Should there be a nationwide ban on plastic bags?

6. Will the GOP’s unofficial floor sessions to protest Congress’ recent vacation curry favor with voters?

7. Does U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East need a more realist focus?

8. Will Bolivian voters recall Morales?

9. What will be the biggest problem confronting the next Israeli prime minister?

10. Is Berlusconi going back to his old ways to the detriment of Italy?

Extemp Questions for the Week of July 29th-August 4th, 2008

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On July 29, 2008

In International Extemp, U.S. Extemp, Weekly Questions

1. Was Obama’s trip abroad politically successful?

2. Will the housing bailout legislation get the housing industry back on track?

3. Has al-Qaeda been defeated?

4. Should the U.S. open up more land for offshore oil drilling?

5. Will the ICC’s actions against Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir lead to more violence in Darfur?

6. Is Mitt Romney the only viable vice-presidential choice for John McCain?

7. Why has there been a change in tone in South Korea’s foreign policy towards North Korea?

8. Are recent charges against Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim politically motivated?

9. Can “Club Med” live up to the hype?

10. Why is Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner’s presidency in peril?

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