Extemp Topics

It has been brought to my attention that the NFHS Questions for October are hard to locate on their website. I'm including them here just to make things more convenient as well as the questions from September. Remember that extemp topics for Hunter Haunting will be based off of these questions (meaning actual tournament questions may not be these exact questions.)

NFHS EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKING TOPICS
October 2022

Domestic
Closed-Ended
1. Is the Fed’s war on inflation bringing the American economy down with it?
2. Are public health officials finally getting the upper hand in the fight against monkeypox?
3. Will the appointment of a Special Master over documents seized at Mar-a-Lago derail the
Department of Justice investigation?
4. Will Republican efforts to unite around a nationwide set of abortion restrictions help or
hurt their prospects in the midterm elections?
5. Is insider trading among members of Congress a problem?
6. Will the introduction of a new COVID vaccine booster to fight the Omicron variant finally
bring the pandemic under control?
7. Are municipal guaranteed income programs the solution to urban poverty?
8. Should the United States refurbish or decommission its aging ICBMs?
9. Will the Inflation Reduction Act succeed in spurring more use of renewable technologies?
10. Will Republican opponents of student loan debt relief prevail in lawsuits to block
implementation of President Biden’s plan?
11. Has Sarah Palin’s political career hit a dead end?
12. Should the United States invest more in prisoner education programs?
13. Will the water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi, spur other municipalities to take a closer look
at their water infrastructure?
The following topics are provided for use/distribution within your state. This suggested list is
provided as a service. Feel free to add, delete or alter items to suit your purposes – especially
in light of day-to-day events. Please keep in mind that other states may closely regulate the
distribution of these topics. Please refrain from any distribution of the topics outside of your
state or by means which may be accessed outside of your state, including the Internet, during
the month of October.

Open-Ended
1. What steps can the United States government take to free Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan
from Russian captivity?
2. What steps can the federal government take to help curtail surging food prices?
3. With wildfires growing more pronounced each year, what steps can the federal
government take to address the threat?
4. What are the prospects for Democrats retaining control of both houses of Congress after
the November elections?
5. With poverty reduced with pandemic economic aid, what must the federal government do
to maintain lower poverty rates going forward?
6. With the Boston Marathon adding an option for gender non-binary runners in 2023, will
other major athletic events follow?
7. What accounts for the continued shortage of baby formula in the United States?
8. What steps can US hospitals take to better prepare themselves for future pandemics?
9. What must the United States do to decrease its dependence on overseas microchip
manufacturers?
10. How will the President Biden’s choice to call-out “MAGA Republicans” directly in his
Philadelphia speech impact the tone of the fall election?
11. How can the United States reduce heat-related deaths?
12. Flush with cash from pandemic aid, what should states do with their extra money?

International Questions
Closed-Ended
1. Will Ukraine’s battlefield gains prompt a Russian withdrawal?
2. Has Russia’s investment in influencing foreign elections paid it any dividends?
3. With William Ruto’s victory in the Kenyan presidential election confirmed by the Supreme
Court, will opposition parties drop their opposition to the election results?
4. Given his previous outspoken stances on the environment, can King Charles remain
apolitical on the issue now?
5. With the death of Queen Elizabeth II, will more Commonwealth countries seek to become
republics?
6. Should Mexico increase its openness toward foreign investment in its industries?
7. After Chile’s rejection of its proposed left-leaning constitution, will leaders try for another
revision?
8. Do Chinese drones buzzing Taiwan risk an accidental shooting war?
9. Will China and India’s pullback in the Himalayas reduce tensions on the border?
10. Is North Korea’s change in its “nuclear doctrine” a meaningful change in policy?
11. Will China’s continued “Zero COVID” policy lead to a political backlash among its people?
12. Can the G7 succeed in capping Russia’s oil prices?
13. Is Russia suppressing the independence of the Orthodox Church?

Open-Ended
1. As he begins his reign as King, what can King Charles III do to restore the faith of UK citizens
in the monarchy?
2. What will be the enduring legacy of Queen Elizabeth II’s long reign as the monarch of the
UK and its Commonwealth?
3. What compromises will be required to achieve a peace agreement between Ethiopia and
Tigrayan rebels?
4. What must South Africa do to conquer its widespread power outage problem?
5. What steps can the United Nations take to respond to famine conditions in Somalia?
6. How is Norway’s profiting from the war in Ukraine endangering its image in Europe?
7. How will hard right politicians in Italy change policy priorities there?
8. What must Ireland do to become a net exporter of wind power?
9. What must be done to stem the global decline in the rule of law?
10. What must Iran hear from western negotiators to conclude a nuclear deal?
11. What must Mozambique do to suppress the insurgency in the country’s north?
12. What must Egypt do if it wishes to expand its solar energy industry? 

NFHS EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKING TOPICS

September 2022

Domestic

Closed-Ended

1. Will the Biden Administration’s forgiveness of sizable amounts of student loan debt have a positive impact on the economy?

2. Are the Biden Administration strategies responsible for the recent decline in gasoline prices?

3. Has the FBI’s search of Mar-a-Lago helped or hurt President Trump’s chance of securing the 2024 Republican presidential nomination?

4. Will Charlie Crist pose a serious threat to Ron Desantis in the Florida Governor’s race?

5. Will Peiter Zatko’s whistleblowing about Twitter’s security weaken the company?

6. With primaries largely concluded, how effective was a Donald Trump endorsement at helping candidates prevail in contested Republican races?

7. Can the Biden administration succeed in securing the public’s support for another round of COVID-19 booster shots?

8. Are other states likely to follow the lead of Kansas voters and move to protect abortion rights?

9. Will the expansion of clean energy loans provide a significant boost to the renewable energy industry?

10. Should United States political leaders curtail their visits to Taiwan?

11. Will job reductions at Ford Motor Company better position the firm to manage its transition to electric vehicles?

12. Will Democratic support of extreme right candidates in Republican primaries backfire in November?

13. Will the conviction of men who plotted the kidnapping of Michigan’s governor serve as a deterrent to future attempts against government officials?

Open-Ended

1. What is the likelihood that former President Trump will face criminal charges over his keeping secret documents at Mar-a-Lago?

2. What strategies must the Republican Party employ if it wishes to “flip the Senate” in November?

3. What strategies can public health leaders take to slow the spread of Monkeypox?

4. What steps should leaders in the Democratic Party take to bridge ideological divides within the party?

5. What will Congresswoman Liz Cheney’s post-Congressional political future look like?

6. What reforms would be required to limit the influence of “dark money” in US politics?

7. What is the primary driver for the marked increase in psychedelic drug use among American adults?

8. What should the federal government do to curb rising food insecurity in the United States?

9. After the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, what steps must the Biden administration take to meet climate reduction targets?

10. What will be the impacts of lower-than-expected economic growth in the United States?

11. How will Anthony Fauci’s decision to step back from his public health positions impact the fight against infectious diseases in the United States?

12. What must Dr. Rochelle Walensky do to restore the credibility of the Centers for Disease Control?

International

Closed-Ended

1. Will Iran agree to western countries’ terms for a new nuclear deal?

2. Can Greenland become a major producer of rare earth minerals?

3. Is Singapore’s decision to decriminalize homosexual relations a first step toward
broadened LGBT rights in Southeast Asia?

4. Will anti-terrorism charges against Pakistan’s Imran Kahn stick?

5. Will disagreement over the winner of Kenya’s presidential election destabilize the country?

6. Should New Zealand change its name?

7. Will Australia’s recent efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions help it catch up to other nations in the fight against climate change?

8. Will Mexico’s continued support of the fossil fuel industry limit the growth of renewable energy there?

9. Is a rising Shiite rebellion in Afghanistan’s north a serious threat to Taliban rule?

10. In the interest of increased stability in the Taiwan Strait, should the United States and Taiwan suspend planning trade talks this fall?

11. Are Ukraine and Russia in a stalemate in their conflict?

12. Should Western nations recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan?

Open-Ended

1. With the court decision to uphold Najib Razak’s graft conviction, what will be the impact on Malaysia’s political landscape?

2. What can the international community do to minimize the threat posed by combat around Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant?

3. What steps can Latin American nations take to challenge limitations on civil liberties in Nicaragua?

4. What should the young government in Somalia do to undermine the activities of the al Shabab organization?

5. How will France’s military departure from Mali impact the struggle of the government there against jihadist forces?

6. What must the United States do to reassure its Asian allies of its continued security cooperation in the region?

7. What impact are Ukrainian successes on the battlefield having on Russian morale at home?

8. What must Viktor Orban do if he wishes to bring inflation under control in Hungary?

9. What steps must Olaf Schultz take to regain the respect of the German political establishment?

10. What steps must the UN take to meet the global need for humanitarian aid?

11. What must Tunisia’s political parties do to restore democracy in the country?

12. How will Israel and Turkey benefit from the restoration of diplomatic relations?

13. What must Iraqi leaders do to calm tensions between political factions there?