Tag: extemp central Page 49 of 77

On April 21, 2014

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1. Should China’s Communist Party crack down on the corruption of old party leaders?
2. Why has Haiti been unable to stop its cholera epidemic?
3. Economically speaking, will the 21st century be the “African century”?
4. Should NATO make Georgia its newest member?
5. How should Twitter deal with the Turkish government?
6. Is Brazil ready to host the World Cup?
7. Will Hamdeen Sabbahi pose a significant challenge to Abdel Fattah al Sisi in the Egyptian presidential election?
8. Is al-Qaeda winning the war on terrorism?
9. Will Rob Ford win re-election?
10. Is Vladimir Putin a rational international actor?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of April 14th-20th, 2014

On April 14, 2014

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1. Will the Ukrainian crisis spark a “gas war” in Europe?
2. Is Assad winning the Syrian civil war?
3. Does the resignation of Abdullah al-Thani further complicate Libya’s transition to a stable democracy?
4. Why did the Parti Quebecois suffer such a disastrous defeat in recent local elections?
5. Should the EU enact a boycott of Israeli goods?
6. Has the international community increased the effectiveness of its fight against AIDS?
7. Should Catalonia become independent?
8. Will Rafael Correa eventually decide to seek a fourth term?
9. How can the international community improve its response to outbreaks of ethnic violence and genocide?
10. Is Nigeria Africa’s superpower?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of April 14th-20th, 2014

On April 14, 2014

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1. Is Bobby Jindal’s healthcare proposal a feasible alternative to the Affordable Care Act?
2. Did CBS make the wrong call in deciding to replace David Letterman with Stephen Colbert?
3. If Russia occupies Eastern Ukraine, how should the U.S. react?
4. Should Vance McAllister resign?
5. What is the best way for the federal government to oversee grazing on public lands in the West?
6. How will the U.S. government’s decision to deny a visa to Hamid Abutalebi impact its nuclear talks with Iran?
7. Does Kathleen Sebelius’s resignation improve the public relations dimension of the Affordable Care Act?
8. Is the “war on women” narrative still politically effective?
9. Should state be required to disclose the drugs used for lethal injection?
10. The Heartbleed virus: a significant security threat or a nuisance for businesses?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of April 7th-13th, 2014

On April 7, 2014

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1. The new jobs report: cause for celebration or source of anxiety about the status of America’s economic recovery?
2. Is Paul Ryan making a mistake by not including defense cuts in his budget proposal?
3. What steps can be taken to make higher education more affordable?
4. Does McCutcheon v. FEC devastate what remains of campaign finance law?
5. What is the best way to measure unemployment?
6. Should soldiers at military posts be armed?
7. Are state increases in the minimum wage helping or hindering Democratic prospects this November?
8. Should the U.S. permanently abandon efforts to broker a Middle East peace agreement?
9. Is Mark Warner’s Senate seat vulnerable?
10. Should General Motors compensate victims of “Switchgate”?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of April 7th-13th, 2014

On April 7, 2014

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1. Is the world experiencing a “population bomb”?
2. After local elections, should Francois Hollande move farther to the left?
3. Were the Afghan elections a success?
4. Are Kenya’s anti-terror operations exacerbating religious tensions?
5. Is the new clash between the West and Russia a global culture war instead of a new global Cold War?
6. Can Chile afford free education for all of its citizens?
7. Is Brazil’s pacification campaign of shanty towns in Rio creating more hardship for the city?
8. Are Pakistan’s blasphemy laws going too far?
9. Has Hungarian democracy eroded under Vicktor Orban?
10. Will the recent reduction of energy subsidies help the Iranian economy?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of March 31st-April 6th, 2014

On March 31, 2014

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1. What steps does Guinea need to take to control the spread of the Ebola virus?
2. Are the National Front’s gains in local French elections a sign of things to come?
3. How can Myanmar’s authorities sell the need for a national census?
4. Will crackdowns on social media solidify Erdogan’s political position in Turkey?
5. How can the international community capture Joseph Kony?
6. Should Pakistan send weapons to the Syrian rebels?
7. Will the Taliban’s attacks on Afghanistan’s electoral infrastructure backfire?
8. Is Libya exporting its unrest to other African nations?
9. Will a recently passed foreign investment law give a much needed boost to the Cuban economy?
10. Was Vitali Klitschko wise to drop his bid for the Ukrainian presidency?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of March 31st-April 6th, 2014

On March 31, 2014

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1. Will the Ukrainian crisis cause America to change its foreign policy toward Taiwan?
2. Has Chris Christie overcome “Bridgegate”?
3. Will Taco Bell’s decsion to serve breakfast help it gain market share?
4. Does the United States need a good relationship with the Vatican?
5. If it stands, how will the Chicago NLRB’s ruling that Northwestern’s football players can unionize impact collegiate athletics?
6. Is another “Dust Bowl” looming?
7. Will the arrest of Raymond Chow set back the American gun control movement for decades?
8. If you were a Republican moderate, how would you take back control of the party?
9. How should states handle tenure for teachers?
10. Is Texas’s 2013 abortion law constitutional?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of March 24th-30th, 2014

On March 24, 2014

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1. Would a Hillary Clinton presidency disappoint Democratic liberals?
2. Will 2014 be the year that the U.S. housing market makes a complete recovery?
3. Is the liberalism of Millennial voters overstated?
4. How can Republicans win the Illinois gubernatorial election?
5. What steps can local school districts take to reduce a racial gap in discipline policies?
6. Is the U.S. prepared for another Cold War?
7. What impact will recent recalls have on General Motors recovery?
8. PACs: democratic benefit or impediment?
9. Can President Obama’s plan for an Energy Security Trust Fund successfully reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil?
10. Will affirmative action policies continue to pass judicial muster over the next decade?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of March 24th-30th, 2014

On March 24, 2014

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1. If you were Vladimir Putin, what would be your next annexation target and how would you accomplish this goal?
2. Do the arrests of Benito and Wilma Tiamzon help or hinder the Philippine government’s efforts to squelch the CPP?
3. Are South Korea’s military exercises with the United States counterproductive to its efforts to build a better relationship with North Korea?
4. Has the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 become too politicized?
5. Will May’s South African national elections lead to Jacob Zuma’s ouster as ANC leader?
6. Will the proposed trade deal between Taiwan and China hurt Taiwanese businesses?
7. Is Moldova the next Ukraine?
8. What does Abdullah al-Thinni need to do to improve Libya’s security situation?
9. Should the European Commission allow Italy to breach the EU’s Stability and Growth Pact?
10. Will the removal of Gustavo Petro from office impair the Colombian government’s negotiations with the FARC?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of March 17th-23rd, 2014

On March 17, 2014

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1. Should Europe pay slave reparations to Carribean nations?
2. Does Argentina need to reform its energy sector?
3. Where is Malaysia Airlines Flight 370?
4. Will the revelation of secret recordings made during Nicolas Sarkozy’s 2012 presidential campaign harm his chances of returning to the Elysee Palace?
5. Have recent international crises exposed the weakness of the United Nations?
6. Why is ethnic unrest increasing in China?
7. Will the next British parliamentary election be a referendum on the EU?
8. Is Michael Sata becoming an autocrat?
9. Should the international community allow Crimea to join Russia?
10. Does NATO still matter?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of March 17th-23rd, 2014

On March 17, 2014

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1. Should states ban the use of Google Glass while driving?
2. Is President Obama weighing down Democratic candidates in 2014?
3. What is America’s foreign policy?
4. Is the U.S. government making a mistake in giving away authority over the Internet?
5. Should the Justice Department prosecute the CIA for allegedly spying on Congress?
6. What role should the federal government play in medical marijuana research?
7. Should President Obama issue an executive order banning federal contractors from discriminating based on sexual orientation and gender identity?
8. Why is the U.S. experiencing a heroin crisis?
9. Can Democrats win Georgia’s Senate seat in 2014?
10. Is natural gas the engine of America’s energy future?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of March 10th-16th, 2014

On March 10, 2014

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1. Should the U.S. recognize the annexation of Crimea?
2. Why is Sam Brownback in danger of losing the Kansas governor’s race this year?
3. Should marijuana distributors be allowed to advertise their products on television?
4. Will a cross-industry group formed by Visa and Mastercard significantly improve the security of credit transactions?
5. Should commercial drones be allowed over U.S. airspace?
6. What reforms should be made to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration?
7. How will Millennials change American politics?
8. The new SAT: enacting much-needed changes or reducing standards?
9. Who is the conservative frontrunner for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination?
10. Does the Affordable Care Act harm unionized workers?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of March 10th-16th, 2014

On March 10, 2014

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1. Do the results of the El Salvador presidential election illustrate the continuing appeal of Bolivarian socialism?
2. A year into the job, what effect has Pope Francis had on the Catholic Church?
3. Will German’s plan for a post-carbon economy succeed?
4. What role should China play in the Ukrainian crisis?
5. Has Hassan Rouhani outmaneuvered Iran’s hardliners?
6. Should Israel be recognized as a Jewish state?
7. Are the obstacles to a Syrian ceasefire insurmountable?
8. Has Cyprus’s economy recovered from its 2013 economic collapse?
9. How will intraparty electoral changes affect the British Labour Party’s ties to organized labor?
10. Will the BJP win India’s upcoming general elections?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of March 3rd-9th, 2014

On March 3, 2014