Tag: extemp topics Page 52 of 78

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

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1. What is the state of the American housing market?
2. Is President Obama too loyal to members of his cabinet?
3. Has ethanol lost its political clout?
4. Will the “John Doe” investigation hurt Scott Walker’s 2014 gubernatorial campaign?
5. Should the United States pass more regulations against genetically modified foods?
6. Will the use of the “nuclear option” for executive branch nominations and judicial appointments improve the performance of the U.S. Senate?
7. Is immigration reform dead until after the 2014 elections?
8. What should local governments do to deter the “knockout game”?
9. How will the Iranian nuclear deal impact America’s relationship with Saudi Arabia?
10. Is NBC making a poor decision in getting rid of Jay Leno?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of November 18th-24th, 2013

On November 18, 2013

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1. Will President Obama’s proposed fix for those losing health insurance coverage complicate the implementation of Obamacare?
2. If Israel attacks Iran’s nuclear facilities, how should the U.S. respond?
3. Can the Chamber of Commerce stop the Tea Party?
4. Is increased use of technology in the classroom the best way to improve the academic performance of American students?
5. Should the children of illegal immigrants receive in-state tuition rates?
6. If Hillary Clinton runs for president in 2016, will Bill be an asset or a liability?
7. Does the United States need to repair its image in Asia?
8. Is Janet Yellen too “doveish” for the Federal Reserve?
9. Should the United States fund a universal preschool program?
10. How will Millennial voters impact the future of American politics?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of November 18th-24th, 2013

On November 18, 2013

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1. Should Saudi Arabia assist Israel in a military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities?
2. Did the Filipino government fail its citizens in preparing for Typhoon Haiyan?
3. Will Pervez Musharraf receive a fair trial in Pakistan?
4. Is Mahinda Rajapaksa a war criminal?
5. Should Great Britain continue to provide aid to India?
6. Can Nicholas Sarkozy make a political comeback?
7. Is it in the Ukrainian government’s best interest to release Yulia Tymoshenko?
8. Should the Lebanese government be wary of the refugees settling inside its borders?
9. What reforms does South Korea need to make to its education system?
10. Should Brazil put time limits on Bolsa Familia aid?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of November 11th-17th, 2013

On November 11, 2013

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1. Will Michelle Bachelet be Chile’s next president?
2. What structural reforms should be made to the Russian economy?
3. Will sentences handed out to the Bangladesh Rifles improve the political fortunes of the Awami League?
4. Is India’s Mars mission worth the cost?
5. What impact would a stable Democratic Republic of the Congo have on the African continent?
6. Can Nicolas Maduro tame Venezuela’s economic problems?
7. Should the Taliban be part of the new Afghan government?
8. Why is anti-Semitism on the rise in Europe?
9. Who is responsible for the failure of the recent Iranian nuclear negotiations?
10. Should Rob Ford resign?

Extemp Central also thanks all veterans for their service and wishes them a happy Veterans Day. Happy Armistice Day as well!

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of November 11th-17th, 2013

On November 11, 2013

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1. Should TSA officers be armed?
2. Will plagarism allegations doom Rand Paul’s 2016 hopes?
3. Is too much direct democracy the cause for California’s fiscal woes?
4. How should Bill de Blasio deal with New York City’s public sector unions?
5. If Detroit cannot seek bankruptcy protection, will its budget crisis get worse?
6. Can the “war on women” message carry Democrats to electoral success in 2014?
7. Will Colorado’s decision to tax marijuana at a 25 percent rate drive marijuana traffic underground?
8. Does the most recent jobs report mean that the Federal Reserve should begin to taper quantitative easing?
9. Will the failure to reach a nuclear deal with Iran significantly complicate America’s attempt at securing a peace deal between the Israelis and the Palestinians?
10. Is the GOP establishment responsible for Ken Cuccinelli’s defeat?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of November 4th-10th, 2013

On November 4, 2013

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1. Will problems with healthcare.gov become the “Katrina moment” of the Obama presidency?
2. Should there be an audit of the Federal Reserve?
3. Is the result of the Virginia governor’s election a bellwether for the 2014 midterms?
4. Should there be more oversight of NSA activities?
5. Are chemically induced abortions unconstitutional?
6. Did Obama lose Iraq?
7. Ten years after the scream: Could Howard Dean pose a formidable challenge to Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic presidential primaries?
8. Can Charlie Crist return to the Florida governor’s mansion in 2014?
9. Will the Twitter IPO suffer Facebook’s fate?
10. What is the status of the municipal bond market?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of November 4th-10th, 2013

On November 4, 2013

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1. Have the Argentinian midterm elections significantly weakened Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner?
2. Is it too late to impose a two state solution on the Israelis and Palestinians?
3. Does the European economy face a deflationary challenge?
4. Will the transition to a parliamentary system enhance Georgian democracy?
5. Is it in Ukraine’s best economic interest to side with the European Union or Russia?
6. How will poor relations between Japan and South Korea impact China’s foreign policy in the Pacific?
7. Is the UN Human Rights Council a credible international institution?
8. What steps should Ollanta Humala take to enhance his political position in Peru?
9. Is Great Britain still a world power?
10. Why has the Quebec separtist movement lost support?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of October 28th-November 3rd, 2012

On October 28, 2013

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1. Will Saudi Arabia ends its ban on female driving?
2. Can alternative energy sources provide the foundation for significant economic growth in Africa over the next century?
3. Should the Canadian Senate be abolished?
4. Is it in India’s national interest to have friendly relations with China?
5. Would a grand coalition in Germany between the CDU and the SPD weaken Germany’s democracy?
6. Should Britain, France, and the Netherlands pay slave reparations to Caribbean nations?
7. Will Cuba’s decision to unify its two currencies be a net positive for its economy?
8. Should Israel be given a seat on the UN Security Council in 2019?
9. Why are Hondurans losing faith in their nation’s two party political system?
10. What steps do African nations need to take to end slavery?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of October 28th-November 3rd, 2013

On October 28, 2013