Category: Weekly Questions Page 1 of 79

US Extemp Hot Topics

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of September 2-8, 2024

  1. Do Americans have a constitutional right to an AR-15?
  2. Which of Wisconsin, Michigan, or Pennsylvania is most likely to vote for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election?
  3. Should the U.S. implement a “right to disconnect” law?
  4. Does early voting for American elections start to soon?
  5. Should Josh D’Amore become the Disney’s new CEO?
  6. Does Florida’s school library law violate the First Amendment?
  7. Would Donald Trump’s plans for “mass deportation” survive legal challenge?
  8. Should social media companies enjoy legal immunity under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996?
  9. If Kamala Harris wins the presidential election should she keep Jerome Powell as the head of the Federal Reserve?
  10. Will Republicans lose a Senate seat in this year’s elections?
Extemp Hot Topics

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of September 2-8, 2024

  1. How would a Kamala Harris presidency impact Chinese geopolitical objectives?
  2. Was Hezbollah’s rocket barrage against Israel the extent of Iran’s retaliation for the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh?
  3. Is Canada making a wise choice applying a 100% surtax to Chinese electric vehicles?
  4. Why are far-left and far-right parties enjoying success in German politics?
  5. Has Macron stolen the NFP’s election win?
  6. Has organized crime become a bigger threat to European nations than terrorism?
  7. Are fears of an Iranian nuclear weapon exaggerated?
  8. What does an Egyptian-Somali military alliance mean for Ethiopia?
  9. Is it possible for the Mexican government to win its drug war?
  10. If Bangladesh’s new government establishes closer relations with Pakistan, what does it mean for India’s national security?
Extemp Hot Topics

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of August 26-September 1, 2024

1. Is a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas still possible?
2. Can Angola broker peace between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda?
3. Is Yoon Suk Yeol’s vision of Korean unification one that the West should embrace?
4. Why has Africa become the world’s new battleground against Islamic extremism?
5. Is the Taliban’s hold over Afghanistan growing weaker?
6. Should the EU decouple from China?
7. Is Peru’s Congress amassing too much power?
8. Will the attempted enlistment of Haredim troops bring down Netanyahu’s government?
9. Should Mexican legislators pass AMLO’s judicial overhaul?
10. Is Botswana doing enough to address its drought?

US Extemp Hot Topics

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of August 26-September 1, 2024

1. How will Robert Kennedy, Jr.’s decision to drop out and endorse Donald Trump have on the 2024 presidential election?
2. What does OpenAI need to do to become profitable?
3. Are there enough protections to prevent non-Americans from voting in national elections?
4. Will the GOP win control of the Senate?
5. Why has the U.S. failed to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas?
6. Will the Federal Reserve cut interest rates at its September meeting?
7. Should public K-12 education be expanded to K-16?
8. How important will the debate between vice presidential candidates be?
9. Are existing climate initiatives too regressive?
10. How much should the Harris campaign use her gender to appeal to voters?

US Extemp Hot Topics

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of August 19-25, 2024

1. Is protectionism bad for the U.S. economy?
2. Should there be more regulations on private equity firms?
3. Has Trump lost his mojo?
4. Should Vice President Harris pursue a Sun Belt strategy or a Rust Belt strategy?
5. Does the Montana or Ohio Senate race have a better chance of going red?
6. Would a Harris administration impose stricter gun measures?
7. Does Donald Trump need a major shakeup of his campaign staff?
8. Would a greater disengagement from European affairs by the U.S. make nuclear proliferation worse?
9. Are colleges restrictions on protest activity before this school year a violation of free speech principles?
10. Would price controls be an effective tool against inflation?

Extemp Hot Topics

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of August 19-25, 2024

1. Is a good offense the best defense for Ukraine in its fight with Russia?
2. Should Macron work with the Popular Front or fight against it?
3. Has Sudan become the next Syria?
4. Who should be Japan’s next prime minister?
5. How can the WHO best contain mpox?
6. What steps can India’s government take to reduce violence against women?
7. Should Great Britain and France increase the size of their nuclear arsenals?
8. What economic reforms does Ethiopia need?
9. Should Israel pre-emptively strike Iran?
10. Is Lula failing in his effort to help Brazil’s indigenous populations?

Extemp Hot Topics

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of August 12-18, 2024

1. How much of a setback for Russia is Ukraine’s incursion into Kursk?
2. Will recent riots force the British government to increase social media regulations?
3. Is the Chinese economy stuck?
4. Should European multinational institutions expel Hungary?
5. Is Kenya’s police mission in Haiti working?
6. Why was Sheikh Hasina forced out?
7. How will Iran respond to Israel’s assassination of Ismail Haniyeh?
8. Is Japan engaging in unfair currency practices?
9. Has COVID become endemic?
10. Should South Africa reorient its foreign policy to be more friendly to the West?

US Extemp Hot Topics

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of August 12-18, 2024

1. Was Walz a good pick?
2. Is there still a substantial number of undecided voters for the 2024 presidential election?
3. Will the U.S. economy go into recession in 2025?
4. How will the Google anti-trust ruling affect the tech sector?
5. Should the Trump tax cuts become permanent?
6. Was the recent stock market decline a blip or a sign of things to come?
7. Is Governor Gavin Newsom taking the wrong approach to clearing homeless encampments?
8. Are expectations about AI inflated?
9. Is a vote for Harris a vote for a second Biden term?
10. Should there be more regulations on sports betting to prevent use by underage users?

US Extemp Hot Topics

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of August 5-11, 2024

Here are the first extemp questions of the 2024-2025 season!  We will be rolling out some additional content this month as it can be completed.  Remember that news quizzes will resume Labor Day week (September 4).

1. Should Trump ditch Vance?
2. Will protests be a major problem at the Democratic National Convention?
3. Has the Federal Reserve waited too long to reduce interest rates?
4. Should the Arizona school voucher experiment discourage other states from trying it?
5. Will there be a presidential debate between Trump and Harris?
6. How should President Biden spend the remaining months of his presidency?
7. If the 2024 presidential election is centered on culture wars does that benefit Trump or Harris most?
8. Will white collar employment be devastated by the rise of AI?
9. Should the U.S. continue to do prisoner swaps with Russia?
10. How should the U.S. respond to the stolen election in Venezuela?

Extemp Hot Topics

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of August 5-11, 2024

Here are the first extemp questions of the 2024-2025 season!  We will be rolling out some additional content this month as it can be completed.  Remember that news quizzes will resume Labor Day week (September 4).

1. Does the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh make it easier or more difficult to wind down the ongoing Israel-Hamas war?
2. Who would China prefer to win the U.S. presidential election?
3. What should democratic activists in Venezuela do now?
4. Is ISIS rising again?
5. Would it be unwise for Israel to go to war with Hezbollah?
6. How should the British Conservative Party rebuild?
7. Have the Paris Olympics been a success?
8. How can Somalia best counter al-Shabab?
9. Will European nations have to pay for more of their own defense in the next decade?
10. How can the Yemeni Civil War be ended?

Extemp Hot Topics

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of June 10-16, 2024

Note:  These will be the last practice questions for the 2023-2024 season.  Check back for new questions on August 5.

1. Was the result of the Indian elections a major setback for Narendra Modi?
2. Is America’s national debt imperiling the global economy?
3. To what degree should Claudia Sheinbaum stick with AMLO’s agenda?
4. Could the Conservative Party finish third in the British parliamentary elections?
5. Is there anything the West can do to push China to improve its human rights record?
6. Would “deglobalization” make the world less safe?
7. Should Germany consider a nuclear weapons program?
8. Would it be in Turkey’s best interest to form a closer relationship to China?
9. Will battles over “culture war” issues inhibit cooperation among nations in the Americas?
10. How can South Africa best tackle income inequality?

US Extemp Hot Topics

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of June 10-16, 2024

Note:  These will be the last practice questions for the 2023-2024 season.  Check back for new questions on August 5.

1. Can the U.S. prepare for simultaneous wars in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East?
2. Will President Biden’s new asylum restrictions have a significant effect on migration levels into the United States?
3. Should the U.S. be alarmed at growing marijuana use?
4. Will Amazon’s entry into the grocery business fail?
5. Should more U.S. states pass legislation to ban smartphones from schools?
6. Is it too late for President Biden to change the way voters perceive the state of the U.S. economy?
7. Due to the growth of legalized sports gambling, will sports betting scandals become more common in U.S. sports?
8. How should Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson handle upcoming negotiations with the Chicago Teachers Union?
9. Is there a case the SEC could bring against Keith Gill for market manipulation?
10. What can lawmakers do to solve America’s housing crisis?

US Extemp Hot Topics

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of June 3-9, 2024

1. Due to Donald Trump’s conviction, should the Republican Party choose a different presidential nominee?
2. After his conviction, will Donald Trump have to do jail time?
3. Will Robert Kennedy, Jr. qualify for CNN’s presidential debate?
4. What should the U.S. do after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a ceasefire proposal with Hamas?
5. Will the legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic play a role in the 2024 presidential election?
6. How will AI affect Internet search results?
7. Will Vermont’s Climate Superfund legislation survive legal challenge?
8. Is Boston’s community policing model working?
9. What cuts in the U.S. military budget should be made?
10. Should the FDA approve MDMA for PTSD?

Extemp Hot Topics

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of June 3-9, 2024

1. How should the results of the South African elections be interpreted?
2. Is Netanyahu right to reject President Biden’s three-phase deal to end its war with Hamas?
3. Do democracy activists in Hong Kong have any more cards to play?
4. Is the international community failing to cure the causes of refugee flight?
5. Have drug cartels damaged the credibility of Mexican elections?
6. Will the fighting in el-Fasher decide the outcome of Sudan’s civil war?
7. How should South Korea respond to North Korea’s trash balloon campaign?
8. Will Rolexgate shorten the presidential term of Dina Boluarte?
9. Is it too soon for the European Central Bank to lower interest rates?
10. Will the new Dutch coalition live up to its pledge to reduce immigration?

US Extemp Hot Topics

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of May 27-June 2, 2024

1. Will the Trump campaign recapture the Sun Belt in 2024?
2. Would it be counterproductive for the U.S. to sanction the International Criminal Court over a possible indictment of Israeli leaders?
3. Do U.S. schools have a major grade inflation problem?
4. What killed Red Lobster?
5. Is Donald Trump’s support among African American voters overstated?
6. Does the Biden administration need to push for more school funding to handle an influx of ESL students?
7. Should Samuel Alito recuse himself from criminal cases concerning Donald Trump and January 6?
8. Is American neo-liberalism dead?
9. Should California abandon its bullet train project between Los Angeles and San Francisco?
10. Does it still serve American national interests to engage with international institutions?

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