Tag: practice extemp topics Page 51 of 77

On January 20, 2014

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1. Have tigher border security measures implemented by Kim Jong-un negatively affected the North Korean economy?
2. Would a UN transitional administration bring stability to the Central African Republic?
3. Has the Special Tribunal for Lebanon been disappointing?
4. Does Australia need to work with Indonesia to reduce its number of asylum seekers?
5. How should the international community react to Nigeria’s anti-gay legislation?
6. Why are global religious tensions increasing?
7. Should the Mexican government work with or against vigilante groups to win its battle against the country’s drug cartels?
8. Will the “Geneva 2” talks produce a breakthrough with regards to the Syrian civil war?
9. Would the sectarian partition of Iraq enhance Middle Eastern stability?
10. Will the Awami League be forced to call early elections by the end of 2014?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of January 20th-26th, 2014

On January 20, 2014

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1. Is it in the Republican Party’s interest to become the party of international isolationism?
2. What regulations should the U.S. government place on Bitcoin?
3. Is the U.S. doing enough to avoid a cyber attack?
4. What laws should be passed to effectively regulate Google Glass?
5. Are net neutrality rules necessary?
6. Does lethal injection violate the Eighth Amendment?
7. Should police be allowed to search a suspect’s cell phone without a warrant?
8. Bridgegate vs. Benghazi: Which is the more damaging scandal?
9. Will President Obama’s proposed changes to the NSA’s surveillance program successfully allay the concerns of privacy advocates?
10. What steps should California take to battle its recent drought?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of January 13th-19th, 2014

On January 13, 2014

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1. Has the New Jersey traffic scandal permanently damaged Chris Christie’s presidential ambitions?
2. What policies can the federal government pursue to get more adults in the labor force?
3. Will marijuana be legalized in all fifty states by 2020?
4. Are police playing too much of a role in school discipline proceedings?
5. Bill de Blasio’s horse-drawn carriage ban: necessary step to protect animal rights or poor political move?
6. Is a new bubble forming in the American stock market?
7. What impact will the West Virginia chemical spill have on the coal industry?
8. Will the polar vortex strengthen or weaken the hand of global warming advocates?
9. How can the Republican Party improve its image as a party that is insensitive to the poor?
10. Why has the war on poverty not been won?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of January 13th-19th, 2014

On January 13, 2014

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1. How can Tony Abbott improve his approval ratings?
2. Will the murder of Monica Spear lead to significant changes in the way the Venezuelan government approaches the country’s high homicide rate?
3. Has Erdogan become a threat to Turkish democracy?
4. What steps does France need to take to stabalize Mali?
5. Has the world run out of answers on Syria?
6. Will General Abdel Fattah el-Sisi eventually run for the Egyptian presidency?
7. How will China’s new fishing rules in the South China Sea impact its relationship with Vietnam and the Philippines?
8. Will there be sizable political fallout for Francois Hollande after allegations of an affair with Julie Gayet?
9. What is Ariel Sharon’s legacy as it pertains to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process?
10. Is an international treaty needed to prohibit private companies from claiming assets on the moon?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of January 6th-12th, 2014

On January 6, 2014

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1. Are the concerns of rich EU governments about the free movement of Romanians and Bulgarians justified?
2. How will right-wing populist parties remake the European political landscape in 2014?
3. NAFTA at 20: Did it measure up to expectations?
4. Should German companies provide more flexible working conditions for men with families?
5. Which country is best suited to take advantage of the growing hi-tech nature of the global economy?
6. What position should Pope Francis take on gay marriage?
7. How should ASEAN respond to the recent election violence in Bangladesh?
8. Who will become India’s next prime minister in May?
9. Will Scottish voters reject independence?
10. Should Netanyahu break from Likud and establish his own political party?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of January 6th-12th, 2014

On January 6, 2014

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1. Is the recent Boeing machinists union vote a defeat for organized labor?
2. Should Max Baucus become the next U.S. ambassador to China?
3. Why is there such poor morale among the federal workforce?
4. How can President Obama stage a political comeback in 2014?
5. Should the U.S. send troops back to Iraq to help the Iraqi government fight Sunni militants linked to al-Qaeda?
6. How can the U.S. win the battle against income inequality?
7. Should municipal governments use eminent-domain powers on properties that have underwater mortgages?
8. How should the Marines address high failure rates by female recruits on its physical fitness test?
9. Should unemployment benefits be extended?
10. Has the U.S. been a fair negotiator regarding the Israeli-Palestinian dispute?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of December 30th, 2013-January 5th, 2014

On December 30, 2013

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1. Should the Volcker rule be tweaked?
2. Is education the civil rights issue of the twenty-first century?
3. Who was the most important figure in American politics in 2013?
4. Should Supreme Court hearings be broadcast on public television?
5. Are the conclusions of the New York Times regarding the Benghazi attack correct?
6. How can local governments halt the “flash mob” phenomenon?
7. Bill de Blasio in New York: a beacon for more progressive policies at the national level or a recipe for Democratic disaster in national elections?
8. Do local circumcision bans violate First Amendment rights?
9. What grade does President Obama deserve for his leadership in 2013?
10. Is Chris Christie the only Republican presidential candidate that can beat Hillary Clinton in 2016?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of December 30th, 2013-January 5th, 2014

On December 30, 2013

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1. Who was the most important global personality of 2013?
2. How high is the risk of terrorism at the Sochi Olympics?
3. Is Syria backtracking from its internationally brokered chemical weapons deal?
4. How can the Israeli government create a stable border with Lebanon?
5. What will be the three most important news stories of 2014?
6. How can the Bank of Japan avoid negative economic fallout from a planned sales tax increase that will go into effect this April?
7. Will the Syrian refugee crisis create political turmoil in European and Arab governments in 2014?
8. How can the international community bring peace to South Sudan?
9. Have Brazil’s UPP units been effective?
10. Is nuclear power still the future of international energy?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of December 23rd-29th, 2013

On December 23, 2013

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1. Is Salva Kiir to blame for the growing political unrest in South Sudan?
2. How should President Horacio Cartes handle Paraguay’s income inequality problem?
3. Is Ursula von der Leyen being groomed as Angela Merkel’s successor?
4. Are Afghanistan’s defense forces ready to fight the Taliban without American assistance?
5. Will proposed abortion restrictions reduce the political standing of Spain’s People’s Party?
6. Should Venezuela reduce domestic gasoline subsidies?
7. How should Yingluck Shinawatra respond to the Democrat Party’s pledge to boycott Thailand’s February elections?
8. What should the Egyptian government do with Mohamed Morsi?
9. Why did Putin release Khodorkovsky?
10. Which nation had the world’s best economy in 2013?

Extemp Central wishes everyone a happy holiday.

HotTopics: United States Extemp for the Week of December 23rd-29th, 2013

On December 23, 2013

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1. Are state constitutional amendments that ban gay marriage living on borrowed time?
2. How will President Obama’s decision not to send any members of the First Family to the Sochi Olympics impact America’s relations with Russia?
3. Has the “war on terrorism” ended?
4. What amendments should be made to federal drug enforcement laws?
5. Is Brian Schweitzer Hillary Clinton’s worst nightmare?
6. If the federal government enacts immigration reform next year, how will that impact the 2014 midterm elections?
7. Should the Federal Reserve allow inflation to approach 5%?
8. Is it time to repeal the Patriot Act?
9. Will the first year of the Affordable Care Act require a federal bailout of insurance companies?
10. Did A&E overreact to Phil Robertson’s remarks to GQ magazine?

HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of December 16th-22nd, 2013

On December 16, 2013

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1. How much political capital does President Obama have left?
2. Will the Senate approve the Ryan-Murray budget deal?
3. Should the U.S. Congress pass more sanctions against Iran?
4. Obama’s handshake with Raul Castro: A polite gesture or a foreshadowing of warmer relations?
5. What impact with the Ryan-Murray budget deal have on Paul Ryan’s 2016 presidential prospects?
6. Should American schools be required to teach financial literacy?
7. Is polygamy unconstitutional?
8. Should President Obama pardon Edward Snowden?
9. Can a federal minimum wage increase bolster the fortunes of red state Democratic senators in 2014?
10. Should Randi Weingarten be named the next school chancellor of New York City?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of December 16th-22nd, 2013

On December 16, 2013

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1. Why did the Venezuelan opposition lose the December 8th municipal elections?
2. If you were an advisor to Nicolas Sarkozy, what advice would you provide to help him return to the Palais de l’Eysee?
3. Has 2013 been a good year for Russia in the Middle East?
4. Are African economies too reliant on raw material exports?
5. Should the British government hold a referendum on its EU membership?
6. How has the Arab Spring affected Hamas?
7. Should aid agencies by local food when participating in food aid efforts?
8. Can Mexico manage radioactive materials effectively?
9. What steps should Chile take to better protect the rights of women?
10. Why is the Syrian opposition fracturing?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of December 9th-15th, 2013

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