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?
Category: U.S. Extemp Page 14 of 56
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?
Note: These will be the last extemp questions of the 2020-2021 competitive year.
1. Should American cities defund their police departments?
2. Have Minneapolis prosecutors overcharged the cops involved in the death of George Floyd?
3. Should the Republican Party contemplate replacing President Trump as its presidential candidate?
4. Can SpaceX succeed in launching a Mars mission by 2022?
5. Is the U.S. spiraling out of control?
6. Would reforming the collective bargaining rights of police unions have negative affects on other public sector unions?
7. Is it possible to significantly decouple the U.S. economy from China?
8. Will more states legalize marijuana and/or adopt legalized forms of gambling to overcome the financial hardships of the coronavirus?
9. Is America foreign policy overmilitarized?
10. If Joe Biden wins the 2020 presidential election, what should he do on his first day in office?
1. Is looting a legitimate form of protest?
2. How can cities do a better job policing the police?
3. Will the recent urban protests create a second COVID wave?
4. How will growing urban unrest affect the 2020 presidential election?
5. Should all American students be required to wear masks in schools in the upcoming 2020-2021 academic year?
6. Are U.S. pension plans at an even greater risk than they were during the Great Recession?
7. Has SpaceX’s recent success ushered in the era of private space exploration?
8. Will the George Floyd case undermine Amy Klobuchar’s vice-presidential hopes?
9. Has the COVID lockdown fueled protests in American cities more than the death of George Floyd?
10. Does the U.S. need an Internet Bill of Rights?
Some of this week’s questions come from former old coach Steve Meadows, who is now the executive director of the Kentucky High School Speech League (KHSSL).
1. Are social distancing policies no longer politically feasible?
2. Is Amy Klobuchar a good vice-presidential pick?
3. It’s Report Card Day: Grade the Fed for its handling of the coronavirus impact to the U.S. economy.
4. It’s Report Card Day: Grade the current U.S. Supreme Court.
5. It’s Report Card Day: Grade Representative Tulsi Gabbard.
6. French immigration policies – should American say oui to their approaches?
7. Problem: American elections seem no safer from foreign interference. Solution?
8. Problem: Despite promises made, tax cuts have not trickled down past the wealthy. Solution?
9. Problem: America’s infrastructure is aging. Solution?
10. Problem: Republicans want to win where President Trump is unpopular. Solution?
1. Has the President’s embrace of Twitter over press conferences hurt U.S. democracy?
2. How should Americans manage their money as the coronavirus attacks the stock market?
3. Are biorefineries growing as a solution to American energy needs?
4. Is it time for William Barr to step down?
5. Months later, did the impeachment of President Trump matter?
6. Why are socialists seen as unelectable by much of the American population?
7. Did Elizabeth Warren have an electability problem?
8. Why do evangelicals stand with President Trump?
9. Are recent interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve a good idea?
10. Is the Space Force a waste of money?
1. How should Joe Biden use former President Obama as part of his election campaign?
2. If a coronavirus vaccine is developed, should all students attending public schools be required to get it in order to attend?
3. How should the Supreme Court rule in Trump v. Vance?
4. Should the Biden campaign try to win over moderate Republicans or should it prioritize courting African-American and younger voters?
5. Will the next U.S. president have to raise taxes?
6. Is justice moving too slowly in the Ahmaud Arbery case?
7. If colleges are still teaching online in 2020-2021, should they reduce tuition costs?
8. Should states make moves to outlaw the “gig economy”?
9. How can the U.S. increase is ability to test for the coronavirus?
10. Should cities establish rent freezes until the coronavirus passes?
1. Should the U.S. economy move away from a service-oriented model?
2. Could sexual harrassment allegations cost Joe Biden the presidency?
3. Will taxes rise after the coronavirus passes?
4. Could school reformers benefit from a federal aid package to the states?
5. Is “telemedicine” the future of American healthcare?
6. Does the federal government need to pass another stimulus to help working Americans?
7. Is federalism hurting America’s response to the coronavirus pandemic?
8. How can state authorities enforce social distancing measures in light to growing protests?
9. What will college education look like for the 2020-2021 academic year?
10. Is it constitutional to require citizens to wear masks in public?
1. Will effective antibody testing be the key to reopening America’s economy?
2. What changes will American schools have to make due to the coronavirus next year?
3. Should small businesses have received more coronavirus aid?
4. Is it better for Joe Biden to stay out of the spotlight throughout the summer or to take on a greater media presence to counteract President Trump’s messaging?
5. Should U.S. states be able to declare bankruptcy?
6. Will AOC’s vote against further coronavirus aid hurt her political standing?
7. Are state lawsuits against China frivolous?
8. Is growing anti-China sentiment among Americans a boon for President Trump’s foreign policy agenda?
9. Has CNN become too politicized?
10. Does the Supreme Court need to be expanded?
1. Will the politicization of social distancing policies have a negative impact on public health?
2. Is President Trump’s plan to reopen America sound?
3. Should Joe Biden name Michelle Obama as his running mate?
4. Has the coronavirus made it nearly impossible for President Trump to win re-election?
5. Are virtual tournaments the future of high school forensics?
6. Will Laura Loomer become a member of Congress this fall?
7. Would a Democratic presidential victory in 2020 be a blow to the Squad’s future political prospects?
8. Is the coronavirus bringing Americans closer together or continuing to tear the country apart?
9. Does the U.S. government need to implement a temporary universal basic income until the coronavirus passes?
10. Do small businesses need more assistance to get through the coronavirus?
1. Should the College Board administer a home-based SAT?
2. Is coronavirus exposing a significant digital divide in America’s schools?
3. Has the Trump administration overseen a deteriorating in civilian-military relations?
4. Is deflation becoming a big risk for the U.S. economy?
5. Why did Bernie Sanders fail to win the Democratic presidential nomination?
6. Will battling the coronavirus be the most significant issue in the 2020 presidential election?
7. What should states consider “essential” industries during the coronavirus pandemic?
8. Should the U.S. government mandate that more businesses relocate from China once the coronavirus pandemic passes?
9. Why are African-American communities being hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic?
10. Should prison inmates count in the U.S. Census?
1. Do state governments need to better enforce social distancing guidelines?
2. What reforms need to be made to protect America’s voting infrastructure?
3. How should the DNC proceed with its convention if it cannot meet this summer?
4. Will the coronavirus cause the U.S. to shift its economic model back toward manufacturing?
5. Should nation building remain part of U.S. foreign policy goals?
6. Is the coroanvirus helping or hurting President Trump’s re-election prospects?
7. Should American schools give all students the option of repeating their current grade level in the 2020-2021 school year?
8. How much blame does Mayor Bill de Blasio bear for New York City’s coronavirus outbreak?
9. Can the U.S. cut military spending without reducing its military options?
10. How should the U.S. counter the growth of Russian and Chinese spheres of influence in today’s world?
1. Do states have the constitutional ability to shut their borders during a national pandemic?
2. Should the DNC make Andrew Cuomo its presidential candidate?
3. Why did the U.S. lack an appropriate supply of medical equipment to deal with the coronavirus?
4. Should the U.S. government increase its surveillance of American citizens to prevent future outbreaks?
5. Did the U.S. failt to learn from the Ebola scare?
6. How can Joe Biden re-establish his public presence in the wake of the current coronavirus outbreak?
7. Why did the U.S. fail in Afghanistan?
8. Should all U.S. states allow citizens to mail in their ballots for elections?
9. Does the U.S. need a bigger stimulus package to get through the coronavirus outbreak?
10. How much authority does President Trump possess to void local and state shutdowns in the midst of the coronavirus?
1. How can the U.S. increase the number of respirators needed to fight the coronavirus?
2. Can the U.S. economically afford to do “social distancing” measures for up to eighteen months?
3. After the coronavirus crisis ends, will more U.S. schools embrace online education?
4. Is the coronavirus exposing how dysfunctional American politics has become?
5. Will the coronavirus prevent Joe Biden’s presidential candidacy from gaining traction due to a lack of media attention?
6. Does the U.S. need to establish a lending facility for mortgage companies during the coronavirus crisis?
7. Should the U.S. value public health or economic growth during the coronavirus crisis?
8. Will the coronavirus disrupt collecting data for the U.S. Census?
9. Should grocery chains do more to prevent hoarding by customers?
10. Can wind and solar sources effectively meet America’s energy needs?
1. What will be the long-term effects of the coronavirus on the United States?
2. Could the coronavirus lead to a postponment of the 2020 elections?
3. Will the coronavirus cause the U.S. to rethink its economic ties to China?
4. Are questions about Joe Biden’s mental fitness justified?
5. Does a U.S. president possess the constitutional right to place America under martial law to combat a pandemic?
6. Is the Sun Belt turning blue?
7. Should the College Board cancel all AP testing due to coronavirus?
8. Are state governors doing a better job attacking the effects of the coronavirus than the federal government?
9. Will the economic damage of the coronavirus be short-term or long-term?
10. Does Joe Biden need Bernie Sanders endorsement if Sanders drops out of the Democratic presidential race?