1. Why did the Thai protests stop? 
2. Will America’s recent response to Somali piracy make the problem of piracy worse?
3. How should Australia handle Fiji’s suspension of its constitution?
4. Should Notre Dame rescind its invitation to President Obama?
5. Will state sovereignty resolution significantly alter the current balance of federal and state relations?
6. Should foreign law have an impact on U.S. court rulings?
7. can digitized medical records really reduce healthcare costs?
8. Will opposition protesters succeed in ousting Saakashvili?
9. What should be the world’s next move now that North Korea has vowed to quit nuclear talks?
10. Will the successful Phillips rescue enhance Obama’s security credentials?
Tag: international extemp questions Page 39 of 43
1. How seriously should the U.S. take cyber attacks?
2. Can digitized medical records significantly reduce healthcare costs?
3. Considering the failure of its recent rocket launch, should the North Korea still be taken before the UN Security Council?
4. Is it a mistake for Silvio Berlusconi not to accept international aid for earthquake victims in central Italy?
5. Can Obama’s recent overtures to Islamic nations bear fruit?
6. Is Netanyahu’s idea of building up the Palestinians economically before a peace deal is reached DOA?
7. After their recent defeat in Iowa, should gay marraige opponents nationwide reconsider their legal strategy?
8. Should Norm Coleman concede?
9. Will recent shootings across the U.S. lead to stricter federal gun control laws?
10. Should the G20 have done more to reverse rising protectionism?
The global financial crisis is truly a global phenomenon. A crisis that centered around a lack of credit brought about by poor judgment by financial institutions has created an international recession and the World Bank estimates that global economic growth will decline by 1.7 percent this year, the first time such a decline has existed since World War II. The Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has also weighed in on the financial crisis and backed up the World Bank’s claims in reporting that its 30 members will experience a 4.3 percent decline in growth this year.
With such gloomy outlooks on the horizon, and with some financial analysts believing that governments are doing too little to stop the recession from becoming a full blown recession, the gathering of the G20 in London, an organization whose twenty members make up 85 percent of global economic output, was watched closely by international markets last week. The results of the summit ended up mixed, with the winners being the International Monetary Fund (IMF), China, and Angela Merkel of Germany and the potential losers being tighter restrictions on tax havens and most important of all, global trade.
This brief will provide some background on the G20 summit for extempers by analyzing the conflicting views that presented themselves at the summit, what the summit accomplished, and the spin and criticisms that have been leveled against the summit over the last week.
1. Should the U.S. cut funding for a missile defense system?
2. Why does Germany oppose a fiscal stimulus for the global economy?
3. How much progress on a peace deal with the Palestinians will be made by Netanyahu’s government?
4. Will U.S. efforts to engage Iran on Afghanistan lead to improvements in the country?
5. Is it a good idea for the U.S. to join the Human Rights Council?
6. Will recent financial scandals squash the DPJ’s hopes for leading the next Japanese government?
7. How can the international community better crackdown on tax havens?
8. Are attempts to regulate the pay of employees that receive federal bailout money constitutional?
9. How serious should threats made by the Pakistani Taliban against Washington D.C. be taken?
10. Is the Kirchner’s political hold over Argentina coming to a close?
If any extempers thought that the removal of the Bush administration would see a reduction in international tensions they have been proved wrong by the recent tensions on the Korean peninsula that continue to rise daily. The North Korean regime of Kim Jong-Il, known for its inability to refrain from shining the international media spotlight on it for too long, is threatening to launch a long range missile, called Taepodong 2 or Paektusan 2, which it claims is actually a rocket meant to send a satellite into space.
International pundits are worried about the fallout of this missile launch. Whether or not the missile launch succeeds is not as much of an issue as whether or not North Korea launches the missile at all. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has warned that if North Korea proceeds with this launch, which North Korea says will come between April 4th and 8th, it could lead to the destruction of the six party talks concerning North Korea’s nuclear program and leave it more isolated than it was before. North Korea, for its part, says that it would consider any attempt to interfere with this launch as an act of war, which could have very negative ramifications for the entire East Asia region.
This brief will provide extempers with the details of why North Korea may be launching this missile, international reaction to North Korea’s plans to launch this missile, and how a successful missile launch could impact U.S. and international policy towards North Korea.
As the old adage goes, one can never truly be too prepared. With this in mind, Extemp Central is proud to make available the question sets from the Kentucky Education Speech and Debate Association and Kentucky High School Speech League, Inc. state tournaments. In addition, we also have questions from the Kentucky NCFL qualifier. As with all of Logan’s questions, you can expect a variety of topics that will challenge your students and team as we move toward important state tournaments and national qualifiers.
2009 KYCFL Questions
2009 KESDA Questions
2009 KHSSL Questions
And a big congratulations to KESDA state champions Rowan County High School and KHSSL state champions Danville High School.
1. Can the recent U.S. border security plan effectively stop smuggling along the U.S.-Mexican border?
2. Will the Employee Free Choice Act pass the Senate?
3. Why did the Czech government collapse?
4. Will Michael Bloomberg win a third term as New York City mayor?
5. What grade does Great Britain deserve for its anti-terror strategy?
6. Will the creation of a Labor-Likud governing coalition force the Kadima party to join a national unity government?
7. Should the U.S. government aid failing newspapers?
8. Should the Kurdistan Regional Government work closer with Turkey to cripple the PKK?
9. Will the AIG bonus debacle give the GOP a winning issue for the 2010 midterms?
10. Why is 2009 looking grim for the airline industry?
1. Should AIG be forced to give back their bonuses?
2. Will Madgascar’s political situation get worse?
3. How serious should the saber rattling between North Korea and South Korea be taken?
4. Will tight economic times prompt states to abolish the death penalty?
5. What insight does the appointment of David Hamilton to the U.S. Court of Appeals give about Obama’s judicial philosophy?
6. Is the Vatican’s stance on condom use counterproductive to AIDS prevention efforts in Africa?
7. How can Israel secure the release of Gilad Shalit?
8. Is increased U.S. intervention in the Mexican drug war a good idea?
9. Will Vermont become the third state to allow same-sex marriage?
10. Should the U.S. be worried about its growing national debt burden?
1. Will the arrest warrant for Omar al-Bashir eventually lead to the disintegration of the CPA?
2. Are North Korea’s threats of war to be taken seriously?
3. Will the recent violence in Northern Ireland weaken Sinn Fein’s leadership?
4. What are the chances of an Israeli-Syrian peace accord by the end of the year?
5. Is it time for America to end the war on drugs?
6. Should America’s school day be longer?
7. Is Rush Limbaugh the most powerful figure in the Republican Party?
8. Will the EPA’s attempt to require major U.S. industries to measure greenhouse gasses hurt the economy?
9. Should the U.S. government quit bailing out AIG?
10. Why is Obama facing Congressional resistance to his budget proposals?
1. Does Obama’s current push for universal healthcare have a better chance at succeeding that Bill Clinton’s attempt?
2. Should Russia be willing to exchange support for actions against Iran for U.S. abandonment of a missile defense shield in Europe?
3. Was Hillary Clinton’s announcement that she plans to press for a Palestinian state bad for Israel?
4. Is Zardari hold on Pakistan weakening?
5. Should the U.S. pay more attention to Mexico drug problem?
6. What changes should be made when No Child Left Behind is reauthorized?
7. Will more planned education spending by the Obama administration improve the quality of American schools?
8. Should Minnesota re-run its Senate election?
9. Will the recent lawsuit filed by gay rights advocates for federal benefits lead to DOMA being declared unconstitutional?
10. Is it wise to let the Bush tax cuts expire?
1. Is it wise for Republican governors to reject stimulus money?
2. Should Kadima enter into a Netanyahu-led Israeli government?
3. Would a nationalization of some major U.S. banks be good for the economy?
4. By the end of 2009 will the U.S. still have an embargo on Cuba?
5. Do fertility clinics need more oversight?
6. Can Obama cut the budget deficit in half by the end of his first term?
7. Should the U.S. government encourage Uribe to run for a third term?
8. Was Hillary Clinton’s recent tour of Asia a success?
9. Is China’s purchase in global companies over the last month wise?
10. Should Burris resign?
Should China continue to buy U.S. debt?
How will a Netanyahu-led Israeli government alter U.S. foreign policy in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
Will the Sri Lankan governments fight against the Tamil Tiger soon degenerate into a guerilla war?
How can Mexico get its drug violence under control?
Are Saudi reforms too late?
Why is Chile’s government best able to stimulate its economy than other countries in Latin America?
Should Chavez’s victory in Venezuela frighten other Latin American leaders?
Is the trial of Tuol Sleng good for Cambodia?
Will improved Iraqi Kurdish relations with Turkey pave the way for the creation of a Kurdish state?
Is Ukraine headed for a debt default?
Does Iraq need a strong central government or a more decentralized model?
What happened to Club Med?
Can Labour win an election with Gordon Brown at the helm?
Should the ICC look into indicting CIA officials for abuses of prisoners held in the war on terrorism?
How is Italy doing as leader of the G7?|
What government or organization should take up the cause of policing international waters against pirates?
Will the ICC be successful in obtaining an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir?
Why are European companies rushing to rebuild Iraq?
Will a cease-fire continue in the Swat region of Pakistan?
How is China benefitting from a global fire sale?
Was Hillary Clinton successful in reenergizing key US ties to Asia on her recent visit?
Will Tzipi Livni join Benjamin Netanyahu?
Will Benjamin Netanyahu be forced into a centrist stance in order to form a government?
Why has Canada been largely protected from the global economic crisis?
Why did Barack Obama select Canada as the location for his first international visit as president?
Is North Korea open to negotiating its stance on its nuclear weapons program?
1. Is Obama’s plan to drop the “car czar” a good idea?
2. Who should be tapped to create Israel’s next government?
3. Is Pope Benedict XVI alienating mainstream Catholics?
4. Why did Chavez win his term limits referendum?
5. Is space junk a major problem that warrants international attention?
6. Are Pakistani concessions with the Taliban an indictment of the U.S.’s war on terror strategy?
7. Is the Israeli election or the upcoming Iranian presidential election more important for Middle Eastern stability?
8. Are fixing America’s banks the key to economic recovery?
9. Is the window closing for a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict?
10. Did Obama mishandle the presentation of the economic stimulus package?
What effect would Russian support have on NATO dealings in Afghanistan?
Hugo Chavez for life?
Will Ireland default on its debts?
What does Hugo Chavez’s victory over term limits mean for Venezuela’s future?
By the end of 2009 will the LDP still be a strong political force in Japan?
Should the world get more serious over “space junk”?
Will Europe’s economic problems be a boon for the far right?
How should the world respond if North Korea proceeds with a planned rocket launch?
Should Russia aid NATO in Afghanistan?
After recent elections, Who should be Israel’s next prime minister?
Is Pakistan’s governments willingness to negotiate with the Taliban a sign of weakness?
Will the scandal involving Carl Neihaus damage the ANC’s political prospects?
How can Mexico stop violent crime?
Is Saudi Arabia becoming more moderate?
Are Moammar Kadafi’s plans to shake up the Libyan bureaucracy sound?
Why is Somali President Sharif Sheik Ahmed getting good reviews?
Is Iraq’s stability being threatened by its stagnant economy?
Are sectarian tensions between Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq beginning to ease?
How is mobile banking changing commerce in Africa?
Should the Obama administration rescind the American Service Members Protection Act?
What challenges are resulting from increased urbanization in Latin America?
What has been the cost of a joint operation to eliminate the LRA in Africa?
What does Richard Holbrooke hope to gain from his “listening tour” in Pakistan?
Who holds the keys to opening a new line of dialogue between the U.S. and Iran?
Why did the Pakistani government call a true over the Swat valley region?
Will a recent collision of nuclear submarines lead to changes in “waterspace management”?
Will Italy’s plan to crack down on “criminal content” on the internet result in a loss of freedom of expression?
1. Will the economic stimulus package hurt the Democrats chances in 2010?
2. Are Asian countries complaints about how the West is responsible for its economic problems valid?
3. Was Tom Daschle’s withdrawal as Secretary of Health and Human Services a blow to Obama’s healthcare plans?
4. Is the current global economic turmoil bad for global stability?
5. Should NCAA athletes get paid?
6. Why has the honeymoon ended so soon for Obama?
7. Will current economic unrest in China provoke a Tiananmen Square II?
8. How can the U.S. get more support from its allies for its current operations in Afghanistan?
9. Will Hugo Chavez win his referendum to lift term limits?
10. How long will Zimbabwe’s new unity government last?