Tag: practice extemp topics Page 60 of 77

On December 7, 2011

1. Why did Kenya issue an arrest warrant for Omar al-Bashir?
2. Will the EU cave to British demands that it be exempt from a tax on financial transactions?
3. Is playing the U.S. and China off of each other a sound foreign policy strategy for Myanmar?
4. Could Iran win a war with the United States?
5. Has the European financial crisis helped Belgian politics?
6. Will recent bomb attacks on Shiite Muslim gatherings trigger sectarian violence in Afghanistan?
7. Are austerity measures merely a short-term fix for Europe’s financially insolvent governments?
8. Will Russia and China agree to a no fly zone over Syria?
9. Should the international community be concerned about the outcome of the first round of the Egyptian parliamentary elections?
10. Are we witnessing the beginnings of a “Russian Spring”?

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HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of December 6th-12th, 2011

On December 6, 2011

1. How can Democrats shore up their support among white working class voters?
2. Will Nancy Pelosi’s latest comments on Newt Gingrich bolster his presidential bid?
3. Does the collapse of MF Global signal the need for tighter financial regulations?
4. What can technology firms do to end “e-mail pollution”?
5. Is the U.S. headed for war with Iran?
6. How much aid should the Federal Reserve provide to the IMF to assist the euro zone?
7. Is the U.S. losing the war on meth?
8. Will the Trump Debate be good or bad for the GOP?
9. Does the California economy have more room for tax increases?
10. Can Mitt Romney afford to finish third in the Iowa caucuses?

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HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of November 29th-December 5th, 2011

On November 30, 2011

1. Should Herman Cain drop out of the GOP primary?
2. How should Los Angeles deal with Occupy LA?
3. Would a payroll tax cut extension help the economy?
4. Was Black Friday a success for American retailers?
5. How can America’s school districts deal with rising poverty rates?
6. Will President Obama have to run a negative campaign if he wants to win re-election?
7. How will Chapter 11 change American Airlines?
8. Is Barney Frank’s retirement a blow to Congressional Democrats?
9. Should child protective services have the power to take away children if they are obese?
10. Which GOP presidential candidate is most likely to drop out after the Iowa caucuses?

As a side note, the National Points Race standings will be updated later this evening so competitors know where they stand heading into GMU.

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HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of November 29th-December 5th, 2011

On November 29, 2011

1. Without the euro, is the EU meaningless?
2. How much power should Spain’s regions have?
3. Would it be wise for China to invest in Western infrastructure?
4. Will global economic unrest manifest itself at next year’s Summer Olympics?
5. Did Lieberman lose political points by refusing to try to topple Netanyahu’s government for handing over $100 million in Palestinian tax money?
6. Why is the Democratic Republic of the Congo facing charges that its recent presidential election was unfair?
7. Is “Putin fatigue” wearing on Russia?
8. Why are Arab regimes distancing themselves from Syria?
9. Would Iran really attack NATO’s missile defense shield in Turkey if it came under attack from Israel?
10. How many more times is the euro going to the point of collapse during 2012?

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HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of November 15th-21st, 2011

On November 16, 2011

1. Should the Palestinian Authority be dismantled?
2. Would adopting a common currency be in the EAC’s best interest?
3. Will the PRI regain the Mexican presidency next year?
4. Is ASEAN being too hasty in making Myanmar the chair of regional meetings in 2014?
5. What steps does Germany need to take to combat right-wing extremism?
6. Will Assange be extradited to Sweden?
7. Should Australia ditch it’s ban on uranium sales to India?
8. Will major powers find a common voice on Iran at the IAEA?
9. Can Mario Monti fix the Italian budget crisis?
10. Will regional pressure force Assad to step down?

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HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of November 15th-21st, 2011

On November 15, 2011

1. How will the Supreme Court rule this summer concerning President Obama’s healthcare reform law?
2. Should the NCAA give Penn State’s football program the death penalty?
3. How can the “Occupy” movement overcome bad PR reports?
4. Will the GOP presidential primary be settled by January?
5. What should America do with its nuclear waste?
6. Does corporate welfare have a place in American society?
7. Should the U.S. place more restrictions on foreign students that are enrolling in the nation’s universities?
8. What decision will the deficit “super committee” render in ten days?
9. Why did the “personhood amendment” fail in Mississippi?
10. If Rick Perry were to drop out of 2012 Republican primary, who would his supporters flock to?

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HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of November 8th-14th, 2011

On November 9, 2011

1. Did Bank Transfer Day create hardship for major financial institutions?
2. Should Election Day be a national holiday?
3. Will the “Fast and Furious” investigation be the end of Eric Holder?
4. How should Penn State handle its sexual abuse scandal?
5. Should citizens traveling public highways have an expectation of privacy?
6. Has President Obama’s Iran policy failed?
7. Should U.S. presidents be allowed to serve three terms?
8. What is behind Newt Gingrich’s rise in GOP presidential polls?
9. How can Herman Cain get his presidential bid back on track?
10. Did the 2011 elections go well for Democrats?

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HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of November 8th-14th, 2011

On November 8, 2011

1. Is South Sudan turning its back on democracy?
2. Why does the EU worry about national referendums?
3. Can India tame Afghanistan?
4. What steps can Guatemala take to effectively clamp down on crime?
5. Can France save its triple A credit rating?
6. Should Berlusconi resign?
7. Will global climate talks in South Africa amount to anything significant?
8. What should the international community do about daniel Ortega?
9. Will Liberia have a new civil war within the next two years?
10. Why have sanctions failed to stop Iran’s drive for a nuclear weapon?

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HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of November 1st-7th, 2011

On November 2, 2011

1. Is the Greek government on the verge of collapse?
2. What is Kenya’s exit strategy from Somalia?
3. Is the Niger Delta on the verge of a violent relapse?
4. Will the slowing of the Brazilian economy create a Workers Party power struggle between Lula and Dilma?
5. Should NATO go to Syria?
6. Is more female empowerment the key to global stability?
7. Should Ethiopia continue to allow U.S. drone operations from its territory?
8. Is it unrealistic to expect Pakistan to aggressively confront terrorism?
9. Will Netanyahu’s call for speeding up settlement construction result in more international isolation?
10. How would a Greek debt default impact the international financial system?

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HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of November 1st-7th, 2011

On November 1, 2011

1. Will the Tea Party be the kingmaker in the GOP presidential primary?
2. What reforms do U.S. colleges need to make?
3. Do the bankruptcies by green tech companies backed by the U.S. federal government show that the government does a poor job picking economic winners?
4. Should plea bargaining be banned?
5. Is President Obama using too many executive orders?
6. Did Christie endorse a presidential candidate too soon?
7. Should those who are obese be forced to pay higher healthcare premiums?
8. Will the United States decision to cut funding for UNESCO cause the UN to rethink the Palestinian membership issue?
9. Are the “Occupy” protests becoming too radical?
10. Will recent allegations of sexual misconduct wreck Herman Cain’s presidential bid?

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HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of October 25th-31st, 2011

On October 26, 2011

1. Is Obama putting too much pressure on Bashar al-Assad?
2. Why is Netflix seeing a significant decline in its stock value?
3. Ten years after its debt: What is the legacy of the iPod?
4. Why are “ultrasound” abortion laws unconstitutional?
5. Can President Obama’s student-debt plan give a much needed jolt to the economy?
6. Are the “occupy” protests running out of steam?
7. Have recent events in Libya made the 2012 presidential election a referendum on the economy?
8. Is it impossible to make consumers pay for news online?
9. To what extent should the U.S. intervene in the EU debt crisis?
10. Is Perry’s tax plan better than Cain’s?

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HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of October 25th-31st, 2011

On October 25, 2011

1. How can the world ensure enough food to feed the world’s hungry?
2. What does Japan need to do to forge a closer bond with South Korea?
3. Is there enough time in the EU’s “political clock” to solve its financial crisis?
4. Would the world be a better place without WikiLeaks?
5. Why is the Swiss right in retreat?
6. What should Bashar al-Assad do to ensure that he does not become the next Gaddafi?
7. Has the Arab Spring disappointed liberal reformers?
8. What will Kirchner’s priorities be in her second term?
9. Will the euro zone crisis provide a boon for the American or Chinese economy?
10. Should the international community worry about the new Libyan government?

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HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of October 18th-24th, 2011

On October 19, 2011

1. Has the international community failed to establish a strong democratic culture in Afghanistan?
2. Is Mexico’s drug war a regional more than a Mexican national security issue?
3. Should the French Socialist Party have gone younger for the 2012 presidential election?
4. Will Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf win the Liberian runoff election?
5. Is Kosovo on the verge of a new round of ethnic violence?
6. Will the “Chinese century” be a short one?
7. Is Tymoshenko’s jailing the final nail in the coffin for the Orange Revolution?
8. Will Kenya’s decision to send troops to Somalia backfire?
9. How should Saudi Arabia respond to the reported assassination plot hatched by Iran?
10. Did Israel give up too much for Shalit?

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HotTopics: United States Extemp Questions for the Week of October 18th-24th, 2011

On October 18, 2011