U.S. Extemp Archives - Page 54 of 57

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

By Logan Scisco

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

By Logan Scisco

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

By geniao44446

On October 29, 2008

In Topic Brief, U.S. Extemp

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

By Logan Scisco

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

By Logan Scisco

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

By Logan Scisco

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

By Logan Scisco

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

By Logan Scisco

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

By Logan Scisco

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

By geniao44446

On September 23, 2008

In Topic Brief, U.S. Extemp

Overview

Wall Street has been on a roller coaster ride over the last few weeks so wild that it would make any Six Flags amusement park jealous. The salvaging of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac earlier this month was only the first in several steps enacted in hopes of stabilizing the U.S. economy in hopes of staving off a total collapse of the financial sector. This week, Congress will debate a $700 billion dollar package meant to shore up the rest of the industry. That sum is most certainly more than pocket money. The cost of the war in Iraq to date. 12 Bill Gateses. $2300 for every American citizen. Any way you write the check, the additional sum would once again raise the national debt to staggering heights. Thus, the great financial bailout of 2008 is certainly worthy of our analysis.

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

By Logan Scisco

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: Public Opinion

By Logan Scisco

On September 15, 2008

In Topic Brief, U.S. Extemp

by Michael Garson

(Author’s Note: Some of the ideas, facts, and vignettes offered in this story are derived from a course taught by Dennis Chong at Northwestern University in the Spring of 2008. Most of the content is also lifted from a lecture given by Michael Garson for the National High School Institute in the Summer of 2008.)

Hopefully this isn’t news to any readers, but you won’t be seeing a Public Opinion round at a major tournament anytime soon. Further, you are unlikely to get “What is public opinion?” in any round. Unlike the overwhelming majority of topic-based articles, this one flies under the radar. However, I would argue in my boundless sense of self-importance that public opinion is as, if not more, important as any other issue. Understanding HOW and WHY public policy is devised and implemented is highly significant. Many extempers have little difficulty explaining why a particular policy is the most effective. Yet is only the select few (like you, who is reading this article!) can understand how and if that policy can be enacted. Great ideas that are political impossible will never come to fruition. That is the beauty of understanding public opinion: it is one of the most abstract issues but has the most pragmatic and concrete of uses.