Tag: May 2011 extemp questions

On May 31, 2011

1. Should a non-European be the next leader of the IMF?
2. Will Yemen be al Qaeda’s next major operating base?
3. Can South Africa stop the Libyan war?
4. Will poor results in mayoral races for Silvio Berlusconi’s governing coalition lead to early elections in Italy?
5. How can the developing world stop its brain drain?
6. Should Nigeria adopt a “three child” policy?
7. Why has Keiko Fujimori taken the lead over Ollanta Humala in pre-election polling?
8. Does Serbia’s arrest of Ratko Mladic guarantee accession to the European Union?
9. Have Hamad Karzai’s recent warnings to NATO about civilian deaths weakened his political credibility?
10. What impact will the closure of all nuclear power plants have on the German energy grid?

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HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of May 24th-30th, 2011

On May 25, 2011

1. Should Thailand scrap its lese-majeste laws?
2. How should Mikhael Saakashvili react to protests that are calling for hsis resignation?
3. Should there be global rules for the Internet?
4. How can the Democratic Alliance make greater inroads with black voters in South Africa?
5. After taking a beating in local elections and considering the level of political unrest in the country, should Zapatero call for early elections?
6. How should Japan redesign its power grid in light of the Fukushima nuclear disaster?
7. What steps can the international community take to ensure that Sudan and Southern Sudan do not go to war?
8. How secure is Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal?
9. Is it only a matter of time before NATO ground forces are in Libya?
10. How would a Chinese economic slowdown impact the global economy?

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HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of May 24th-May 30th, 2011

On May 24, 2011

1. What impact will President Obama’s call for Israel to return to pre-1967 borders have on the Middle East peace process?

2. Is President Obama now violating the War Powers Act in regards to Libya?

3. What is the most effective way to cut defense spending?

4. Was the filibuster of Goodwin Liu justified?

5. If you were Herman Cain’s campaign manager, what would be your strategy to help him win the GOP presidential nomination?

6. Will Vermont’s single payer healthcare system be effective?

7. Should McDonald’s get rid of Ronald McDonald?

8. Is the School Turnaround and Rewards Act an effective supplement to No Child Left Behind?

9. What state will be the key to the 2012 presidential election?

10. Will Democratic efforts to air ads against Mitt Romney during the GOP primary pay off?

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HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of May 17th-23rd, 2011

On May 18, 2011

1. Is the GOP presidential nomination now Mitt Romney’s to lose?
2. Should Newt Gingrich have criticized Paul Ryan’s Medicare plan?
3. How will the arrest of Dominique Strauss-Kahn impact America’s relations with France?
4. Are better relations with the Chinese military worth halting arm shipments to Taiwan?
5. How should be done to stop the U.S. Postal Service from bleeding red ink?
6. Did Mike Huckabee make a mistake by deciding not to run for president?
7. Does Osama bin Laden’s death demonstrate the usefulness of enhanced interrogation techniques?
8. After Tom Coburn’s withdrawal, will the “Gang of Six” survive?
9. How will recent Mississippi flooding impact the U.S. economy?
10. Is Mitch Daniels waiting too long to decide whether to enter the 2012 presidential contest?

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HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of May 17th-23rd, 2011

On May 17, 2011

1. Is Great Britain withdrawing from Afghanistan too quickly?
2. Would the Pakistani government benefit more by having a stronger relationship with China instead of the United States?
3. How will the arrest of Dominique Strauss-Kahn impact the 2012 French presidential election?
4. Is Belarus headed for a debt crisis?
5. Will the Syrian government’s attempt to distract its population from domestic political problems work?
6. Would Greece’s exit from the euro be legal?
7. Is the ICC moving too quickly against Moammar Gaddafi?
8. How should Guatemala confront rising drug violence?
9. Will BP’s risky deal with Rosneft pay off?
10. How can the Democratic Alliance increase its share of the black vote in South Africa?

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HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of May 10th-May 16th, 2011

On May 11, 2011

1. Do fines leveled against economic consultants for publishing inflation figures that differ from the Argentinian government’s official position violate constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression?
2. Is international assistance to Greece only leading to paralysis in the country’s political apparatus?
3. How can Asian governments solve the gap in employment rates between men and women?
4. Will the British monarchy retain its popularity after the death of Queen Elizabeth II?
5. What role will Salafism play in the new Egypt?
6. If Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Medvedev both run for the Russian presidency in 2012, who will win?
7. Is Libya on the brink of a food crisis?
8. How will a recent study by the International Institute for Strategic Studies on FARC aid to Rafael Correa’s 2006 presidential campaign impact Ecuador’s relations with Colombia?
9. Will Ahmadinejad resign?
10. Are UN efforts to get information from the United States on the death of Osama bin Laden harming the organization’s reputation?

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HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of May 10th-16th, 2011

On May 10, 2011

1. Do train and bus stations need a security overhaul?
2. Who should get the bounty that was placed on Osama bin Laden’s head?
3. Has the Obama administration turned a political victory after the death of Osama bin Laden into a public relations disaster?
4. Will the 2012 presidential election be a referendum on the debt ceiling?
5. Why is the U.S. housing market still reeling?
6. What grade does the Obama administration deserve on border enforcement?
7. Does the GOP presidential field need more governors?
8. Will the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals find President Obama’s healthcare law to be constitutional?
9. Is Microsoft paying too much for Skype?
10. Will the Personal Localized Alert Network significantly help homeland security efforts?

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HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of May 3rd-9th, 2011

On May 4, 2011

1. What impact, if any, will the death of Osama bin Laden have on the 2012 presidential election?
2. Will Indiana’s move to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood be replicated in other states?
3. Does the death of Osama bin Laden mean the end of the war on terrorism?
4. Should states pass legislation to ban obesity lawsuits against restaurants, fast food chains, and grocery stores?
5. Have the events last week destroyed any chance of Donald Trump winning the GOP nomination in 2012?
6. Should the U.S. cut off all aid to Pakistan?
7. How would a renewed push for immigration reform impact President Obama politically?
8. Why does the American job market remain anemic?
9. Will Osama bin Laden’s death increase pressure on the Obama administration to leave Afghanistan?
10. Is the movement for a “Baja Arizona” a pipedream?

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HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of May 3rd-9th, 2011

On May 3, 2011

1. Will the one child policy halt China’s emergence as a global superpower?
2. Is Uganda the next Ivory Coast?
3. Will Germany’s decision to lift labor market restrictions on Eastern European workers hurt native born German workers?
4. Does Venezuela’s minimum wage hike go far enough to help workers bear the country’s high inflation rate?
5. Will British voters ditch the country’s winner-take-all electoral system?
6. Has the world lost its appetite for free trade?
7. Why is global press freedom declining?
8. Is NATO overstepping its mandate in Libya?
9. Should Israel withhold taxes collected on behalf of the Palestinian National Authority?
10. How will the killing of Osama bin Laden impact Pakistani politics?

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Note: Due to university commitments this week, some of the regularly updated content, such as R&D’s for this week, may appear intermittently. A large R&D will be posted on Friday, along with the final 2011 Extemp TOC qual board. We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause.

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of April 26th-May 2nd, 2011

On April 27, 2011

1. Can the Democratic Alliance capitalize on voter frustration with the ANC in South Africa’s municipal elections next month?
2. How will Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s latest spat with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei impact his political standing?
3. Can Singapore’s opposition win a parliamentary majority?
4. Why have Thai-Cambodian cease-fire talks collapsed?
5. How will Lobsang Sangay’s election as the third kalon tripa impact China’s policies toward Tibet?
6. Are worries about Ukranian national cohesion justified?
7. Is Syria the next Libya?
8. Which country is the world’s worst human rights abuser?
9. What modifications should the EU make to the Schengen Agreement?
10. Would Nigeria be better off if it were split into two different states?

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HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of April 26th-May 1st, 2011

On April 26, 2011