Tag: December 2013 extemp questions

On December 30, 2013

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1. Who was the most important global personality of 2013?
2. How high is the risk of terrorism at the Sochi Olympics?
3. Is Syria backtracking from its internationally brokered chemical weapons deal?
4. How can the Israeli government create a stable border with Lebanon?
5. What will be the three most important news stories of 2014?
6. How can the Bank of Japan avoid negative economic fallout from a planned sales tax increase that will go into effect this April?
7. Will the Syrian refugee crisis create political turmoil in European and Arab governments in 2014?
8. How can the international community bring peace to South Sudan?
9. Have Brazil’s UPP units been effective?
10. Is nuclear power still the future of international energy?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of December 23rd-29th, 2013

On December 23, 2013

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1. Is Salva Kiir to blame for the growing political unrest in South Sudan?
2. How should President Horacio Cartes handle Paraguay’s income inequality problem?
3. Is Ursula von der Leyen being groomed as Angela Merkel’s successor?
4. Are Afghanistan’s defense forces ready to fight the Taliban without American assistance?
5. Will proposed abortion restrictions reduce the political standing of Spain’s People’s Party?
6. Should Venezuela reduce domestic gasoline subsidies?
7. How should Yingluck Shinawatra respond to the Democrat Party’s pledge to boycott Thailand’s February elections?
8. What should the Egyptian government do with Mohamed Morsi?
9. Why did Putin release Khodorkovsky?
10. Which nation had the world’s best economy in 2013?

Extemp Central wishes everyone a happy holiday.

HotTopics: United States Extemp for the Week of December 23rd-29th, 2013

On December 23, 2013

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1. Are state constitutional amendments that ban gay marriage living on borrowed time?
2. How will President Obama’s decision not to send any members of the First Family to the Sochi Olympics impact America’s relations with Russia?
3. Has the “war on terrorism” ended?
4. What amendments should be made to federal drug enforcement laws?
5. Is Brian Schweitzer Hillary Clinton’s worst nightmare?
6. If the federal government enacts immigration reform next year, how will that impact the 2014 midterm elections?
7. Should the Federal Reserve allow inflation to approach 5%?
8. Is it time to repeal the Patriot Act?
9. Will the first year of the Affordable Care Act require a federal bailout of insurance companies?
10. Did A&E overreact to Phil Robertson’s remarks to GQ magazine?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of December 16th-22nd, 2013

On December 16, 2013

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1. How much political capital does President Obama have left?
2. Will the Senate approve the Ryan-Murray budget deal?
3. Should the U.S. Congress pass more sanctions against Iran?
4. Obama’s handshake with Raul Castro: A polite gesture or a foreshadowing of warmer relations?
5. What impact with the Ryan-Murray budget deal have on Paul Ryan’s 2016 presidential prospects?
6. Should American schools be required to teach financial literacy?
7. Is polygamy unconstitutional?
8. Should President Obama pardon Edward Snowden?
9. Can a federal minimum wage increase bolster the fortunes of red state Democratic senators in 2014?
10. Should Randi Weingarten be named the next school chancellor of New York City?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of December 16th-22nd, 2013

On December 16, 2013

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1. Why did the Venezuelan opposition lose the December 8th municipal elections?
2. If you were an advisor to Nicolas Sarkozy, what advice would you provide to help him return to the Palais de l’Eysee?
3. Has 2013 been a good year for Russia in the Middle East?
4. Are African economies too reliant on raw material exports?
5. Should the British government hold a referendum on its EU membership?
6. How has the Arab Spring affected Hamas?
7. Should aid agencies by local food when participating in food aid efforts?
8. Can Mexico manage radioactive materials effectively?
9. What steps should Chile take to better protect the rights of women?
10. Why is the Syrian opposition fracturing?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of December 9th-15th, 2013

On December 9, 2013

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1. Does the alleged purge of Jang Song Thaek signify trouble for North Korea?
2. Why is Saudi Arabia cracking down on migrant workers?
3. Who is Africa’s superpower?
4. Should Canada seek a merger with the United States?
5. Is “welfare tourism” a major problem in the European Union?
6. Who was the most significant world figure in 2013?
7. Will the successful completion of the Bali trade accord rejuvenate the Doha trade negotiations?
8. Is the international community doing enough to prevent a widespread bird flu pandemic?
9. Will the Sino-Japanese maritime dispute result in the development of a Japanese nuclear weapons program?
10. South Africa after Mandela: Renewed commitment to racial equality or a Zimbabwe-style disaster in the making?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of December 9th-15th, 2013

On December 9, 2013

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1. Is student loan debt the next economic bubble?
2. Should the same laws that apply to cigarettes be applied to e-cigarettes?
3. Can drones become a viable delivery tool for commercial businesses in the United States?
4. What should American universities do to end grade inflation?
5. Should 3D guns be banned?
6. Are executive modifications to the Affordable Care Act constitutional?
7. What should be NASA’s main priority over the next decade?
8. Will Congress achieve a budget deal by January?
9. What steps can be taken to reduce the federal prison population?
10. How should the Federal Reserve respond to the new unemployment rate?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Question for the Week of December 2nd-8th, 2013

On December 2, 2013

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1. How should Illinois handle its pension crisis?
2. Would Congressional action to curtail the NSA’s spying activities harm American national security?
3. How should the FEC handle Bitcoin donations to political candidates?
4. If it provided workers with a “living wage,” what would happen to Wal-Mart’s business prospects?
5. Do state governments have a revenue problem or a size problem?
6. Should the U.S. abandon Afghanistan after 2014?
7. Will the Supreme Court find that the Affordable Care Act’s mandate that companies must provide contraceptives is unconstitutional?
8. Is it incorrect to assume that Latinos are a natural Democratic constituency?
9. Can new rules on the political activities of 501(c)(4) non-profits make American politics more transparent?
10. How should the United States respond to the contested Honduran presidential election?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of December 2nd-8th, 2013

On December 2, 2013

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1. Does the Iranian nuclear deal provide a framework for dealing with North Korea’s nuclear program?
2. Who stands to benefit most from the recent Egyptian draft constitution?
3. Will the SPD approve of the party’s grand coalition agreement with the CDU/CSU?
4. Does Moody’s upgrade of Greece’s debt rating signal that the country is on the road to fiscal recovery?
5. Is the Orange Revolution returning to Ukraine?
6. Will gay rights create tension between the European Union and Eastern European countries that desire membership?
7. Is France becoming Africa’s international policeman?
8. Will Silvio Berlusconi’s expulsion from the Italian Senate eliminate his influence in Italian politics?
9. Should Hamid Karzai sign the existing U.S.-Afghan security deal?
10. Will Mexican tax reform harm the country’s manufacturing sector?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of November 25th-December 1st, 2013

On November 25, 2013

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1. Will the Iranian nuclear deal produce a more permanent agreement within six months?
2. How should Japan react to China’s establishment of an air defense zone in the East China Sea?
3. Do global financial regulators need more tools to counter bank runs?
4. Is Russia increasing its influence in the Middle East?
5. Will growing protests lead to the fall of Yingluck Shinawatra’s government?
6. Is it in Egypt’s best interest to have good relations with Turkey?
7. Does Chile need a new constitution?
8. Is China facing a growing jihadist threat?
9. How can the international community weaken Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army?
10. Will Brazil be ready to host the Summer Olympics?

Extemp Central wishes everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and a great beginning to the holiday season.

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of November 25th-December 1st, 2013

On November 25, 2013