Tag: extemp central Page 65 of 77

On January 4, 2011

1. What will be the world’s most dangerous hot spot in 2011?
2. Is $100 a barrell oil in OPEC’s best interest?
3. What does the conviction of Mikhail Khodorkovsky mean for Vladimir Putin’s political future?
4. Will Greece’s planned anti-migrant wall stem illegal immigration?
5. How can Japan shore up financing for its Social Security system?
6. Is Netanyahu right to criticize the Palestinians for refusing to recognize Israel as a Jewish state?
7. Would Southern Sudanese voters be making a mistake in voting for independence next week?
8. Is Pakistan headed for a new round of elections?
9. What will it take to make Laurent Gbagbo step down?
10. Is the Egyptian government responsible for the recent suicide car bombing on a Christian worship service?

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HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of December 7th-13th, 2010

On December 8, 2010

1. What will it take for China to act on North Korea?
2. Will European support enable Russia to join the WTO in 2011?
3. Were the EU’s stress tests on banks this past summer stringent enough?
4. Should Saudi Arabia pursue nuclear technology?
5. How will recent flooding in Venezuela impact Hugo Chavez’s political standing?
6. Can a non-democratic China be a responsible global power?
7. Why is Great Britain slipping in global education rankings?
8. How will Brazil and Argentina’s recognition of a Palestinian state impact the Israeli-Palestinian peace process?
9. Is Julian Assange the right pick for Person of the Year?
10. Should Italy leave the euro zone?

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HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of December 7th-13th, 2010

On December 7, 2010

1. Will Students First be an effective counterweight to teachers’ unions?
2. Should the Senate impeach Judge G. Thomas Porteous?
3. Could Sarah Palin be an effective RNC Chairman?
4. Should President Obama have pushed for a cap and trade bill instead of healthcare reform?
5. How would an independent bid by Donald Trump impact that 2012 presidential election?
6. To what degree does the U.S. need the UN?
7. If South Korea launched air strikes against North Korea after another attack, how should the United States react?
8. Should someone in the Obama administration be forced to resign over the WikiLeaks fiasco?
9. Would a two percentage point reduction in Social Security taxes help the economy?
10. Can Newt Gingrich win the Republican presidential nomination?

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HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of November 30th-December 6th, 2010

On December 1, 2010

1. What is responsible for the recent increase in the high school graduation rate?
2. Should Congress allow emergency unemployment benefits grind to a halt?
3. Is Arizona’s campaign finance law constitutional?
4. What is the likelihood that Congress passes the DREAM Act during the lame duck session?
5. Will Joe Miller’s refusal to concede the Alaskan Senate election push Lisa Murkowski away from the GOP?
6. Is the controversy over airline screening practices much ado about nothing?
7. How will the arrival of Mark Kirk to the U.S. Senate impact the lame duck session?
8. Will President Obama’s decision to freeze the pay of federal workers help him score political points?
9. Is the GOP dead in California?
10. Will the WikiLeaks controversy hinder President Obama’s foreign policy?

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HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of November 30th-December 6th, 2010

On November 30, 2010

1. Is the EU’s tin ear responsible for the increased electoral success of far-right parties across the continent?
2. Are austerity measures the only way to stop Europe’s debt crisis?
3. Will Christina Fernandez de Kirchner run for re-election in 2011?
4. How will Haiti’s recent presidential election impact the country’s reconstruction budget?
5. Is Luis Moreno-Ocampo’s move to name Kenyan politicians accused of orchestrating violence after elections in 2007 unwise?
6. How fair was Egypt’s latest parliamentary election?
7. Has Africa’s partnership with the EU been a failure?
8. How will WikiLeaks State Department document dump impact Iran’s relations with other Middle Eastern nations?
9. What grade does China deserve for its handling of the Korea crisis?
10. Can Germany continue to afford bailing out other euro zone members?

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HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of November 16th-22nd, 2010

On November 17, 2010

1. Does Aung San Suu Kyi need to call for Western nations to end sanctions against Burma?
2. Will NATO’s efforts in Afghanistan be improved by recent agreements with Russia to bolster cooperation in the area?
3. Is kidnapping the next venture for Somali pirates?
4. Will Sarkozy’s cabinet reshuffle fix his problems with the French right?
5. How can India improve building safety?
6. Is the UN to blame for Haiti’s cholera outbreak?
7. How will Prince William’s engagement impact how the British people view the royal family?
8. Why is Russia angry over Viktor Bout’s extradition to the U.S.?
9. How should Pakistan respond to President Obama endorsement of India’s candidacy for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council?
10. Is Ireland going to bring down the euro zone?

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HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of November 16th-22nd, 2010

On November 16, 2010

1. Was the latest G-20 meeting a huge blow to Obama’s presidency?
2. How will the controversy over full body scanners and pat downs impact the airline industry?
3. Will cuts in defense spending tear the GOP apart?
4. Did Michael Bloomberg make a major error choosing Cathleen Black to run the New York City public school system?
5. Who will win Chicago’s mayoral election?
6. Are the recommendations of President Obama’s deficit commission DOA?
7. Will “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” help or hinder Sarah Palin’s 2012 chances?
8. How will Ireland’s economic problems impact the U.S.?
9. Was Keith Olbermann’s suspension from MSNBC justified?
10. How big of a distraction will Charlie Rangel’s trial be during Congress’s lame duck session?

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HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of November 9th-15th, 2010

On November 10, 2010

1. Should the GOP elect Michele Bachmann as chair of the Republican Conference?
2. Is Oklahoma’s ban on Sharia law unconstitutional?
3. What is the likelihood of Joe Miller winning the Alaskan Senate race?
4. Is San Francisco’s move against happy meals misguided?
5. Will President Bush’s recent book positively enhance how the American public sees him?
6. Did the GOP win the 2010 midterms or did the Democrats lose them?
7. Will Nancy Pelosi’s decision to become Minority Leader in the next Congress strengthen or weaken House Democrats?
8. Do modifications to the U.S.-South Korean free trade agreement need to be made?
9. Will recent revelations about travel expenses harm Chris Christie’s presidential ambitions?
10. Are criticisms of President Obama’s trips overseas unwarranted?

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HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of November 9th-15th, 2010

On November 9, 2010

1. Who will be the next global superpower?
2. Compared to other international financial institutions, how effective is the G-20?
3. What might South Korea have to give up to have North Korea pull back from its push for nuclear weapons?
4. Does Hugo Chavez’s latest wave of nationalizations show that he is becoming politically desperate?
5. How important were Greece’s recent elections for Europe’s long-term fiscal health?
6. Should the international community listen to Robert Zoellick’s call for a new gold standard?
7. What impact will recent protests against the Russian government’s handling of assembly and press issues have on the nation’s political system?
8. Would a nuclear Iran be the greatest danger to the international community?
9. After its recent elections, what is next for Burma?
10. Is parliamentary democracy holding Iraq back?

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HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of November 2nd-8th, 2010

On November 3, 2010

1. How would the international community react if Lebanon had a coup?
2. Will Berlusconi’s latest scandal lead to the downfall of his government?
3. Would Indonesia benefit from an economic partnership with Australia?
4. Will Mikhail Khodorkovsky die in prison?
5. What will be Nestor Kirchner’s legacy?
6. How should investors react to Dilma Rousseff’s victory in Brazil’s presidential election?
7. Why is Yemen becoming a hot bed for international terrorism?
8. Is ASEAN doing a poor job dealing with Myanmar?
9. What does French and British military cooperation mean for NATO?
10. How can China and Japan’s dispute over islands in the East China Sea be resolved?

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HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of November 2nd-8th, 2010

On November 2, 2010

1. Is WikiLeaks damaging American national security?
2. Should the U.S. cut military aid to the Congo?
3. How should the U.S. respond to the latest terror scare the originated in Yemen?
4. The 2010 midterms: Where does President Obama go from here?
5. How have the midterm elections impacted the role of Blue Dog Democrats within the Democratic Party?
6. Ten years after the Florida debacle, have voting practices significantly improved in America?
7. How can the Republican establishment stop Sarah Palin?
8. What is the likelihood that Hillary Clinton becomes Secretary of Defense next year?
9. What will happen during Congress’s lame duck session?
10. Will President Obama blink first on extending the Bush tax cuts?

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HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of October 26th-November 1st, 2010

On October 27, 2010

1. With one week to go, who will win the midterm elections?
2. Should states ban the use of food stamps to purchase sugary drinks?
3. How will conditions that America has attached on recent aid to Pakistan impact relations between the two sides?
4. Is early voting good for democracy?
5. Should teacher rankings be published?
6. What should the U.S. do to rein in private security companies in Afghanistan?
7. Is the use of visual artists as cultural ambassadors abroad a good use of taxpayer dollars?
8. Are fears of vote fraud for the 2010 midterms overstated?
9. Is a requirement that voters to show proof of citizenship when they register to vote unconstitutional?
10. How will violence at their last debate impact the Jack Conway-Rand Paul Senate race?

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HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of October 26th-November 1st, 2010

On October 26, 2010

1. What will be Lula da Silva’s legacy?
2. Does Felipe Calderon’s proposal to allow civilian courts to try soldiers for abuses against civilians go far enough?
3. Will Serbia make it into the EU before Turkey?
4. How would UN recognition of an independent Palestinian state impact Middle East peace talks?
5. Will French protests against pension reform efforts inspire more protests against austerity measures across the continent?
6. How can Haiti combat its cholera outbreak?
7. Should the international community be concerned about the cash payments Iran is sending to Afghanistan?
8. Has the Congo’s expot ban on minerals in eastern provinces successfully reduced violence in the area?
9. How will Russia’s upgrade of its Black Sea fleet impact Ukranian efforts to join NATO?
10. Has China overtaken Japan as the dominant power in East Asia?

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HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of October 19th-25th, 2010

On October 20, 2010