Category: U.S. Extemp Page 52 of 55

On November 18, 2008

Extempers have been busy over the last several months trying to understand the different elements of the current financial crisis. In the midst of understanding credit markets, bond markets, the $700 billion U.S. bailout package, and deteriorating housing market, it was easy to ignore the problems of one of the most crucial industries of the U.S. economy: the auto market. Within the last several weeks, the problems of the auto industry’s “Big Three”, General Motors (GM), Chrysler, and Ford have become dire, as the auto companies say they have spent most of the $15 billion they held in reserve during the third quarter. Faced with slumping sales at home and in the midst of restructuring their operations, GM has warned that without government aid it will not be able to make it through the year and Ford has warned that it will not last long into 2009 without government aid.

Faced with this situation, and a lame duck session of Congress, as well as for President Bush, you have the recipe for a tense political battle that will have ramifications far into the future. You also have the stage set for what will be the last major battle of the Bush presidency, and one that could make President Bush even more unpopular before he leaves office.

This brief will give a summary of the current woes facing the automakers, the different solutions proposed by each side, and ramifications for the eventual solutions that could be prescribed for the auto industry’s woes.

Topic Brief: 2008 Presidential Election Recap

On November 15, 2008

by Logan Scisco

The 2008 elections, an election cycle some extempers have been speaking about for the last two and a half years has finally come to a close. The election result, unlike 2000 and 2004, was announced at the end of evening, with Senator Barack Obama of Illinois becoming the first African-American to be elected as the President of the United States. Obama won the election by a large margin in the Electoral College, at last count 365 to Senator John McCain’s 162, and also won a commanding margin of the popular vote, 52% to 46% (independent candidate Ralph Nader won 1% of the vote). Obama’s share of the popular vote was the first time a Democratic candidate has won over 50% of the popular vote since Jimmy Carter defeated Gerald Ford in 1976.

Obama’s victory was accompanied by Democratic triumphs in Congressional races across the country. In the House of Representatives, Democrats expanded their majority by twenty seats and in the Senate, the Democrats added to their majority by six seats, with three races in Georgia, Minnesota, and Alaska being subject to recounts, absentee ballot counts, or runoffs. If the Democrats win all three of those contested races they would have a 60 vote, filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, which would be intact for the first two years of an Obama administration.

This topic brief will give a brief analysis of why Obama managed to win, why McCain lost the election, and where the Republican Party goes from here for the 2012 elections.

Topic Brief: Poverty

By admin

On November 15, 2008

by Bill Thompson

Preface: While the point of this brief is not to advocate for Universal Healthcare, it is not an unfair expectation to suggest that children should NOT suffer medically because of their socio economic status. According to the US Census Bureau 34% of those in poverty in 2007 were children.

It is entirely possible that there is no task more daunting than trying to explain “Poverty” in a single extemp brief. Before I begin I would like to preface that I have a larger investment in this issue than most who will read this. For the last 7 years I have worked with homeless and abused teens in my hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. I have seen firsthand the toll that poverty has on its victims and the gravitational pull that it emits, making it at times like a blackhole pulling in those who get too close to it. Poverty is also not just an issue because of America’s current economic woes. “From 1975 to 2001, the U.S. child poverty rate did not go below 16%. For much of that time, the child poverty rate was at or above 20%.” (National Center for Children in Poverty, Low Income Children in the United States: A Brief Demographic Profile, March 2003)

I suggested this brief to Logan because in the 16 years I have judged extemp I can count on one hand the quality extemp speeches I have seen on the topic. This is due to a few causes: 1. Most extempers have an aversion to the subject that causes them not to take poverty questions or write them when they become coaches. 2. Those who do take poverty questions address them in a very narrow manner and do not understand the many facets of this subject. I say this because there is no way in a single brief that I will be able to adequately navigate all the causes and effects of poverty. However, it is my hope that by first addressing what poverty is and how it is measured and next the side effects of poverty on American citizens that those reading will have a better understanding of poverty and it’s toll on America.

Topic Brief: 2008 Presidential Election Recap

On November 12, 2008

The 2008 elections, an election cycle some extempers have been speaking about for the last two and a half years has finally come to a close. The election result, unlike 2000 and 2004, was announced at the end of evening, with Senator Barack Obama of Illinois becoming the first African-American to be elected as the President of the United States. Obama won the election by a large margin in the Electoral College, at last count 365 to Senator John McCain’s 162, and also won a commanding margin of the popular vote, 52% to 46% (independent candidate Ralph Nader won 1% of the vote). Obama’s share of the popular vote was the first time a Democratic candidate has won over 50% of the popular vote since Jimmy Carter defeated Gerald Ford in 1976.

Obama’s victory was accompanied by Democratic triumphs in Congressional races across the country. In the House of Representatives, Democrats expanded their majority by twenty seats and in the Senate, the Democrats added to their majority by six seats, with three races in Georgia, Minnesota, and Alaska being subject to recounts, absentee ballot counts, or runoffs. If the Democrats win all three of those contested races they would have a 60 vote, filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, which would be intact for the first two years of an Obama administration.

This topic brief will give a brief analysis of why Obama managed to win, why McCain lost the election, and where the Republican Party goes from here for the 2012 elections.

Extemp Questions for the Week of November 11th-November 17th, 2008

On November 11, 2008

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

questions

1. Was the selection of Rahm Emanuel as White House Chief of Staff a good decision by Obama?

2. Should the government rescue GM?

3. Why did McCain lose?

4. Is the EU’s policy toward Russia too weak?

5. Should Michael Steele become the next RNC chair?

6. Will China’s economic stimulus plan work?

7. Should the British government expand Heathrow?

8. Why is Pakistan struggling to dislodge the Taliban?

9. Is Google emerging as Big Brother?

10. What should the Republican Party do to gain seats in the 2010 midterms?

Extemp Questions for the Week of November 4th-November 10th, 2008

On November 4, 2008

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

questions 1. What was the biggest upset on election night?

2. Why is Pakistan’s economy in such a wreck?

3. What does the Christian Science Monitor’s decision to go completely online say about the future of the print news industry?

4. Are natural resources a curse for the Congo?

5. Is Burma becoming more aggressive towards its neighbors?

6. Should the U.S. auto industry be given a bailout?

7. Will Livni need religious parties to form a government if she wins the upcoming Israelis elections?

8. What is the best way for the U.S. government to control healthcare costs?

9. Will Sarah Palin run for president in 2012?

10. Is the GOP in danger of becoming a regional party?

Topic Brief: Six Days to Go: A Countdown to the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election

On October 29, 2008

Background

There is no doubt that any extemper worth their mettle will be watching the election returns on November 4^th and already begin thinking of the many questions they will receive about the next presidential administration, the fallout from the election, the legacy of George W. Bush that was reflected in the election, and why the candidate who ends up losing ended up doing so. This is also the very last week for competitors to receive questions they have been receiving since the 2004 election ended which asked “Who will win the 2008 presidential election?” That question will be resolved, barring another Florida/Ohio scenario, on Tuesday evening.

Due to the fact that this is the last week extempers could receive a question on the 2008 presidential candidates, I felt that it was timely to write this brief. In two weeks I will break down the 2008 presidential election results (as well as Congressional results) and offer some additional analysis for extempers to ponder.

This brief will focus primarily on the presidential contest between Illinois Senator Barack Obama and Arizona Senator John McCain, but will focus briefly at the end about the odds of the Democrats achieving a filibuster-proof majority in the United States Senate.

Extemp Questions for the Week of October 28th-November 3rd, 2008

On October 28, 2008

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

1. Has Pennsylvania become the most pivotal battleground state in the presidential election?

2. Why was Livni unable to form a government?

3. Would Congress be more bipartisan with substantial Democratic majorities?

4. Who should Zambia choose as its next president?

5. Why is it so hard to reform the Mexican oil industry?

6. Are Amnesty International’s criticisms of Colombia’s security forces justified?

7. Should Iran pre-emptively strike Israel?

8. Why does the EU not like Italy’s immigration laws?

9. To the U.S.: Should Sudan matter?

10. Why do some Afghans prefer Taliban rule?

Extemp Questions for the Week of October 21st-27th, 2008

On October 21, 2008

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

1. Why is Obama’s lead in the polls shrinking?

2. Will California voters pass Proposition 8?

3. Would a new stimulus package help the U.S. economy?

4. Has the oil bubble burst?

5. What does the Powell endorsement mean for Obama?

6. How long will Harper’s minority government last?

7. Will Zimbabwe’s new political crisis achieve a quick resolution?

8. Why are Central Asian countries facing food shortages?

9. How would a Democratic controlled, filibuster-proof Senate mean change the United States?

10. Why has Sarkozy become a key figure on the global economic crisis?

Extemp Questions for the Week of October 14th-20th, 2008

On October 14, 2008

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

1. Is the bailout package working?

2. Should Ethiopia withdraw from Somalia?

3. Will a new Ukranian election increase Yushenko’s power?

4. Should Khatami challenge Ahmadinejad?

5. How would an Obama administration change U.S. policy towards Israel?

6. Should the U.S. and China cooperate on climate change policy?

7. Is McCain finished?

8. Will California’s budget have to be renegotiated?

9. In these economic times, can America weather a tax increase?

10. How pertitent are ACORN’s activities to this year’s presidential election?

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

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?

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

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?

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

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?

Topic Brief: The Great Bailout

On September 23, 2008