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On August 1, 2016

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1. Has President Obama failed to monitor and build the infrastructure of the Democratic Party during his tenure in office?
2. Is cheap oil maintaining U.S. economic growth?
3. Should more U.S. schools move to a 1:1 model?
4. Can Bill Clinton help Hillary Clinton win back lower class white voters?
5. How will Roger Ailes departure from Fox News affect the channel’s future?
6. Should the Commission on Presidential Debates lower the threshold of support that third party candidates need to acquire to participate?
7. If the Republicans keep the House in 2016, will Paul Ryan win another term as Speaker of the House?
8. Should the EPA issue new regulations on the natural gas industry?
9. Would a Donald Trump presidency significantly alter American foreign policy toward Russia?
10. Will Pennsylvania be the state that decides the 2016 presidential election?

Site News: The 2016-2017 Season Begins!

On August 1, 2016

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Today marks the beginning of August and with it the beginning of the 2016-2017 season here at Extemp Central. Much of the posting calendar will stay the same as previous years, with the biggest change taking place with premium content. No premium content will be offered during 2016-2017 so that the site can provide more coverage of local and national events on the circuit.

In the coming weeks, Extemp Central will be updating the 2016-2017 tournament calendar, the TOC qualification boards for 2016-2017, and will provide the breakdown of the 2016-2017 National Points Race, which will kick off at the Wake Forest National Early Bird next month.

Here is what the daily schedule of content will be like during the 2016-2017 year:

Monday: United States and International Extemp Questions
Tuesday: Topic-specific R&D
Wednesday: News quiz
Thursday: Topic-specific R&D
Friday: Weekly R&D that mixes U.S. and International Extemp issues

In addition to this posting schedule, there will be posts about national and local results, qualification board updates, and National Points Race updates as the season moves along.

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of July 25-31, 2016

On July 25, 2016

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1. Is the Republican Party becoming more unified behind its presidential nominee than their Democratic counterparts?
2. How can African nations better protect property rights?
3. Is de facto segregation the primary cause of police-minority tensions?
4. Have recent Wikileaks revelations greatly harmed Democrats electoral hopes?
5. Should communities embrace Pokemon Go?
6. How should American cable companies adapt to customers “cutting the cord”?
7. Would the adoption of national education standards increase student achievement?
8. Was Tim Kaine a good vice presidential choice?
9. Should the U.S. remove nuclear weapons from Turkey?
10. Did Ted Cruz destroy his future presidential prospects at the Republican National Convention?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of July 25-31, 2016

On July 25, 2016

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1. Is Turkey in the midst of two coups?
2. Can the “On the Move” movement fix France?
3. Is Jeremy Corbyn’s refusal to resign doing significant damage to the Labour Party?
4. Can Angela Merkel’s government survive continued terror incidents?
5. Will growing corruption allegations force Benjamin Netanyahu to resign?
6. How can African nations better protect property rights?
7. Will Mozambique go bankrupt in 2017?
8. How can the international community prevent overfishing?
9. What should John Cryan do to fix Deutsche Bank?
10. Will China’s ongoing media crackdown create a backlash against the Communist Party?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of July 18-24, 2016

On July 18, 2016

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1. Are greater global controls needed on the Internet to better combat terrorism?
2. Will Shinzo Abe succeed in modifying Article IX of the Japanese Constitution by the end of his tenure in office?
3. Should the international community be concerned over China’s disregard of a Hague tribunal decision concerning the South China Sea?
4. Would the creation of a common passport zone across Africa enhance the continent’s economic status?
5. What needs to be done to resolve Mexico’s teacher protests?
6. How should Pakistani officials respond to the death of Qandeel Baloch?
7. What should be Theresa May’s top priority?
8. Should the UN send more peacekeepers to South Sudan?
9. Will Turkey’s failed coup allow Erdogan to further consolidate power?
10. What changes need to be made to French counter-terror efforts?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of July 18-24, 2016

On July 18, 2016

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1. Is North Carolina’s voter ID law unconstitutional?
2. How can Christian conservatives regain their political voice?
3. Should Democrats eliminte superdelegates from the 2020 election cycle?
4. How can the U.S. end the heroin epidemic?
5. Should federal anti-trust officials pay special attention to Google?
6. How can local police forces recruit more African-American applicants?
7. Should the next U.S. president re-evaluate America’s relationship with Saudi Arabia?
8. In the next ten years will the U.S. have fewer troops in Afghanistan?
9. Should the U.S. extradite Fethullah Gulen?
10. Will the Pence pick enhance Donald Trump’s relationship with socially conservative voters?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of July 11-17, 2016

On July 11, 2016

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1. Will the U.S. economy experience a recession by the end of 2016?
2. What is to blame for the recent police shootings of African-American suspects?
3. Does Hillary Clinton need a progressive or moderate vice-president?
4. Can the U.S. afford to give free college education to all Americans?
5. What regulations should be imposed on stem cell clinics?
6. Are federal, state, and local authorities doing enough to prevent forest fires?
7. What changes does the State Department need to make with regards to the handling of classified information?
8. Will the Dallas shootings do significant damage to Black Lives Matter?
9. What implications would a Paul Ryan primary loss have on the 2016 midterm elections?
10. Would Newt Gingrich be a good vice-presidential pick for Donald Trump?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of July 11-17, 2016

On July 11, 2016

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1. Should Finland join NATO?
2. Is Southeast Asia fertile ground for the Islamic State?
3. Would the Middle East be more stable with an independent Kurdistan?
4. Is Mauricio Macri doing enough to sell economic reforms to the Argentinian public?
5. How should Rodrigo Duterte direct Filipino foreign policy toward China?
6. What does the Brazilian government need to do to combat gang violence in major cities?
7. How will the Chilcot Report affect future British foreign policy decision making?
8. Would a significant economic downturn endanger the rule of the Chinese Communist Party?
9. Will Italy be the next European country to seriously contemplate an exit from the European Union?
10. Should IMF allow the Zimbabwean economy to collapse?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of July 4-10, 2016

On July 4, 2016

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1. Will the Rio Olympics be a disaster?
2. Should CEOs take stands on political issues?
3. Has the Pakistani military permanently suppressed militant activity in North Waziristan?
4. What are the security implications of the Black Sea becoming a “Russian lake”?
5. Is Aung San Suu Kyi doing enough to rein in Buddhist extremists?
6. What effect will inconclusive elections have on the Australian economy?
7. Should the British Labour Party oust Jeremy Corbyn?
8. Are ISIS’s recent attacks a sign of desperation?
9. Should Great Britain hold a revote on the Brexit issue?
10. What does Bangladesh need to do to better combat radical Islamic terrorism?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of July 4-10, 2016

On July 4, 2016

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1. How valuable is the South China Sea to American national interests?
2. Should the U.S. work more closely with Russia in resolving the Syrian Civil War?
3. How much money should Congress spend on combating Zika?
4. Will California’s gun control package become a model for other states?
5. What should the U.S. do for the “victims” of free trade?
6. How significant was the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on abortion rights?
7. Are drone strikes becoming a problem for America’s image abroad?
8. Can Democrats count on significant numbers of Hispanic votes in 2016?
9. Has Bill Clinton compromised the integrity of the government’s investigation into Hillary Clinton and the Clinton Foundation?
10. How can Donald Trump broaden the appeal of his populist message to the African-American community?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of June 27-July 3, 2016

On June 27, 2016

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1. Is it time to privatize elements of Social Security?
2. Should those on the federal “no fly” list be allowed to purchase firearms?
3. If you were advising U.S. Senator Mark Kirk, what advice would you give him to retain his Senate seat in 2016?
4. Should prisoners be eligible for Pell Grants?
5. Can the Libertarian Party win more than 5% of the popular vote in the 2016 presidential election?
6. Will Marco Rubio win re-election to the Senate?
7. Has President Obama weakened America’s border protections?
8. Will the Brexit cause the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates the same for the rest of 2016?
9. How can states encourage more people to go into the teaching profession?
10. Should Hillary Clinton make Elizabeth Warren her vice presidential nominee?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of June 27-July 3, 2016

On June 27, 2016

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1. Will the Brexit lead to the end of the United Kingdom?
2. How can the Somali government better combat al-Shabab?
3. Should Raghuram Rajan receive another term as governor of the Reserve Bank of India?
4. What terms should the European Union offer to Great Britain in exit negotiations?
5. How can the Democratic Alliance break the ANC’s hold on power in South Africa?
6. Who will become Great Britain’s next prime minister?
7. Are Mexico’s judicial reforms working?
8. How can Europe find strategic relevance in Asia?
9. What impact will the expansion of the Panama Canal have on global trade?
10. Is the OAS a failed organization?

Site News: Summer Schedule

On June 20, 2016

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Due to a personal vacation, there will be no updates on Extemp Central this week. The exception to this is that the final standings for the National Points Race will be released late on Friday.

During the summer, Extemp Central will be updating our state champions list, putting together the qualification board for the 2017 University of Kentucky Tournament of Champions (TOC) and the 2017 Extemp TOC, and will still release practice questions on Monday’s.

Regular content will resume on August 1, which is the official beginning of the 2016-2017 season.

Extemp Central thanks all of our readers for 2015-2016 and we look forward to covering another great season in several months!

2016 NSDA Nationals: Sloane Denies Graham’s “Double” in IX; Cash Cruises in USX