1. What are the implications of a Revolutionary Guard takeover of the Iranian government?
2. Is it in Turkey’s national interest to remain part of NATO or join a Russia-China axis?
3. What will be Shinzo Abe’s historical legacy?
4. Does Thailand need to reform its monarchy?
5. Should India develop stronger ties with Middle Eastern nations?
6. Who is most to blame for the misery in the Gaza Strip?
7. Is the liberal international order worth saving?
8. Has Europe failed in the Sahel?
9. What long-term impacts will COVID-19 have on the global economy?
10. Has the West won the war on terrorism?
Tag: practice extemp topics Page 17 of 77
1. Could the ongoing protests in Belarus create political change?
2. Can the EU be an effective mediator of Turkish and Greece claims in the Eastern Mediterranean?
3. Are governments becoming too reliant on scientific management?
4. How will the resignation of Bill Morneau hurt the Trudeau administration in the long run?
5. Are China’s actions in Hong Kong a trial run for Taiwan?
6. Will Oman’s ambitious reforms succeed?
7. How will Brunei’s upcoming chairmanship of ASEAN affect the organization’s relationship with China?
8. Are predictions of Bolsonaro’s demise exaggerated?
9. Should the EU do more to clean up Bulgaria’s corruption?
10. Which Arab nation will be the next to recognize Israel?
1. Was the virtual Democratic National Convention a success?
2. Should there be a constitutional amendment limiting the scope and power of executive orders?
3. If you were advising President Trump, what advice would you give him to make a comeback against Joe Biden?
4. Why is there a disconnect between stock market gains and Main Street pain?
5. How would a Biden administration change U.S. foreign policy toward Venezuela?
6. Is the federal government doing enough to help rural America?
7. Why have minority communities been affected more by COVID-19?
8. Will the response to COVID-19 shape President Trump’s legacy?
9. Should police forces be disarmed?
10. What was most responsible for California’s recent wave of blackouts?
1. Will Kamala Harris bolster Biden’s presidential hopes?
2. How might the Black Lives Matter movement impact U.S. education policy?
3. Should U.S. universities reduce tuition if they do distance learning classes for the entire fall semester?
4. How can federal officials help to make sure that the USPS is able to deliver election ballots on time?
5. Does the U.S. need a stronger navy to counter a rising China?
6. Will there be a safe COVID-19 vaccine by this fall?
7. How can the GOP recapture votes in the suburbs?
8. Should all high school sports be halted until the spring?
9. How would a Biden presidency reshape U.S. foreign policy?
10. Is Mayor Lori Lightfoot losing control of Chicago?
1. Does the Israel-UAE accord lay the foundation for a broader Middle East peace agreement?
2. What steps can Boris Johnson take to boost Britain’s economy?
3. Is Evo Morales resposible for Bolivia’s poor COVID response?
4. Will the Beirut port explosion do significant damage to Hezbollah’s power?
5. Are Australia’s internal travel restrictions too severe?
6. Should the world impose significant sanctions on Belarus after its recent presidential election?
7. If Fethullah Gulen was extradited, would it undermine Erdogan’s power?
8. Has the Internet been a boon for the global human rights struggle?
9. Are more international conventions needed with regards to satellite warfare?
10. What reforms does South Africa need to make to its police forces?
1. How would a political revolution in Lebanon affect Israeli-Syrian relations?
2. What steps can Saudi Arabia take to increase its control of global oil markets?
3. Has the COVID-19 pandemic hurt global populist movements?
4. Are global arms control agreements collapsing?
5. Is it in Russia’s best interests to have close ties with Iran?
6. Will Duterte get to change the Filipino constitution?
7. Is Israel emerging as a peacemaker in the Middle East?
8. How should global investors view Zimbabwe’s recent agreement to compensate evicted white farmers?
9. Is the democratic status of various Latin American states on the decline?
10. What values should be at the core of the EU’s foreign policy?
1. Should local governments use digital surveillance tools to control the spread of COVID-19?
2. How many Senate seats will Democrats gain this November?
3. Does President Trump’s recent payroll tax cut proposal threaten the viability of Social Security and Medicare?
4. If President Trump loses in November, who will assume the mantle as leader of the Republican Party?
5. Will an increase in the use of homeschooling in America be one of the long-term impacts of COVID-19?
6. Is the Department of Homeland Security becoming a rogue agency?
7. Are the Trump administration’s concerns about TikTok valid?
8. Will COVID-19 get worse during the winter?
9. Should the U.S. draw down its forces in South Korea?
10. Could New York’s efforts to dissolve the NRA provide a boost for the GOP this November?
1. Can greater regional cooperation help the U.S. become less reliant on Chinese supplies?
2. Will Susan Collins win re-election?
3. Should the Republican National Convention be open to the press?
4. Is Joe Biden’s lead over President Trump in election polls artificially high?
5. Should all American schools start the year with distance learning?
6. Is “Big Tech” a threat to Internet freedom?
7. What should be included in the next COVID stimulus bill?
8. Is U.S. foreign policy overmilitarized?
9. Will police reforms in major cities trigger a new crime wave?
10. Should California voters approve Proposition 16 this fall?
Welcome back for the 2020-2021 season (in whatever form it takes). Check back here every Monday for free IX and USX questions and feel free to make a donation if you find them helpful. We will also be doing some adjustments to our state champions and past champions pages, so if you have results that are not listed, feel free to send them our way.
1. Will “vaccine nationalism” make it harder to combat COVID nationally?
2. Does Brazil have fires in the Amazon under control?
3. Is Tanzania’s economy growing as fast as its government claims?
4. How can Italy make itself more business friendly?
5. Is the UAE’s nuclear power plant a threat to peace in the Middle East?
6. How quickly might the global economy recover post-COVID?
7. Is India becoming the next global coronavirus hotspot?
8. Will Alexander Lukashenko lose Belarus’ presidential election?
9. Is Russia fast-tracking a COVID vaccine too quickly?
10. Has Buhari’s war against Boko Haram failed?
Note: These will be the last questions of the 2020-2021 competitive year.
1. Is Libya’s civil war drawing to a close?
2. Can “land for peace” still work to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
3. Is herd immunity the only way for the world to handle COVID-19?
4. Who will be the next leader of the Canadian Conservative Party?
5. Is the IMF poorly positioned to help emerging markets handle the effects of the coronavirus?
6. Will COVID-19 wreck the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative?
7. Is Brazil losing its battle against COVID-19?
8. How can Nigeria wipe out Boko Haram?
9. Is China winning its propaganda battle over the coronavirus?
10. Would a withdrawal of the U.S. from the WHO be a major blow to the organization?
Note: These will be the last extemp questions of the 2020-2021 competitive year.
1. Should American cities defund their police departments?
2. Have Minneapolis prosecutors overcharged the cops involved in the death of George Floyd?
3. Should the Republican Party contemplate replacing President Trump as its presidential candidate?
4. Can SpaceX succeed in launching a Mars mission by 2022?
5. Is the U.S. spiraling out of control?
6. Would reforming the collective bargaining rights of police unions have negative affects on other public sector unions?
7. Is it possible to significantly decouple the U.S. economy from China?
8. Will more states legalize marijuana and/or adopt legalized forms of gambling to overcome the financial hardships of the coronavirus?
9. Is America foreign policy overmilitarized?
10. If Joe Biden wins the 2020 presidential election, what should he do on his first day in office?
1. Is looting a legitimate form of protest?
2. How can cities do a better job policing the police?
3. Will the recent urban protests create a second COVID wave?
4. How will growing urban unrest affect the 2020 presidential election?
5. Should all American students be required to wear masks in schools in the upcoming 2020-2021 academic year?
6. Are U.S. pension plans at an even greater risk than they were during the Great Recession?
7. Has SpaceX’s recent success ushered in the era of private space exploration?
8. Will the George Floyd case undermine Amy Klobuchar’s vice-presidential hopes?
9. Has the COVID lockdown fueled protests in American cities more than the death of George Floyd?
10. Does the U.S. need an Internet Bill of Rights?
1. Has Europe mishandled its coronavirus bailouts?
2. Should AMLO embrace renewable energy?
3. Will Argentina’s recent debt default trigger another economic collapse?
4. Could border tensions between India and China grow into something much bigger?
5. Have Western universities become too reliant on attracting foreign students?
6. Who has the majority in Malaysia’s government?
7. Has Libya become the new Syria?
8. Looking back, was it wise of Great Britain to let go of Hong Kong?
9. Should African governments continue hiring mercenaries?
10. Have economic problems in Brazil darkened Latin America’s economic outlook on the whole?
This week’s questions come from my former coach Steve Meadows, who is now the executive director of the Kentucky High School Speech League (KHSSL).
1. How has New Zealand changed a year after the Christchurch attacks?
2. Hong Kong’s protests seem forgotten by the world. Problem solved?
3. Australian bushfires: the exception or the rule for a world undergoing climate change?
4. What’s the solution to prevent violence in Mexican cities?
5. How should Lebanon handle its financial woes?
6. Will the Saudi royal family retain power or fall to its own corruption?
7. Should Scottish independence seekers try again or will their dreams be kilt?
8. Will Germany thrive or dive post-Merkel?
9. Is Hungary hungry for a real democracy?
10. Irish reunification – a dream, a nightmare, or a woke response to 21st century realities?
Some of this week’s questions come from former old coach Steve Meadows, who is now the executive director of the Kentucky High School Speech League (KHSSL).
1. Are social distancing policies no longer politically feasible?
2. Is Amy Klobuchar a good vice-presidential pick?
3. It’s Report Card Day: Grade the Fed for its handling of the coronavirus impact to the U.S. economy.
4. It’s Report Card Day: Grade the current U.S. Supreme Court.
5. It’s Report Card Day: Grade Representative Tulsi Gabbard.
6. French immigration policies – should American say oui to their approaches?
7. Problem: American elections seem no safer from foreign interference. Solution?
8. Problem: Despite promises made, tax cuts have not trickled down past the wealthy. Solution?
9. Problem: America’s infrastructure is aging. Solution?
10. Problem: Republicans want to win where President Trump is unpopular. Solution?