Extemporaneous Speaking Questions for Blake 2016

Blake Holiday Tournament 2016

Extemporaneous Questions

Friday December 16^th

Round 1 – U.S. Economy

1. Should advances in technology lead the United States to adopt a universal basic income?

2. Is the Federal Reserve taking the right action in increasing interest rates?

3. Should the United States lower the corporate tax rate?

4. Has globalization helped or harmed the United States economy?

5. Is the United States economy on the threshold of a new recession?

6. Is the growing strength of America’s stock indexes a positive sign for the U.S. economy?

7.Will the election of Donald Trump lead to an economic boom or bust for America?

8. Is now the right time to embrace large government investments in infrastructure?

9. Are tax cuts the answer to what ails the U.S. economy?

10. What steps should the U.S. take to narrow the income gap?

Round 2 – Global Conflict and Hotspots

1. Are the actions of Italian authorities towards refugees a violation of international human rights?

2. Are coalition forces finally succeeding in defeating ISIS?

3. Should the UN take punitive action against Syria for alleged chemical weapons use?

4. Will the new agreement between the Colombian government and FARC achieve peace?  

5. Will China’s actions in the South China Sea lead to a military conflict?

6. Has the time come for the nation’s of the world to embrace multilateral nuclear disarmament?

7. Does the refugee crisis in Europe threaten to collapse the European Union?

8. What steps must be taken to preserve antiquities from conflict?

9. What does the future hold for Israeli and Palestinian peace efforts?

10. Is the Taliban once again on the rise in Afghanistan?

Round 3 – U.S. Energy and Environment

1. Is former Texas Governor Rick Perry the right choice to lead the Department of Energy?

2. What does the future hold for the Environmental Protection Agency under the leadership of Scott Pruitt?

3. Is wind energy a solution to meeting America’s energy demands?

4. Is America’s energy grid secure from cyber attacks?

5. Should water safety take precedence over energy development in the United States?

6. Will deep de-carbonization help the U.S. mitigate the harms of climate change?

7. Would GMO insects for combatting disease do more harm than good to our nation’s eco-system?

8. What does a Trump presidency mean for the future of environmental protection in America?

9. What steps should the U.S. federal government take to limit rising methane emissions?

10. Is the Federal Lands Freedom Act the right course of action for energy and land use management?

Round 4 – Africa

1. What steps should the nations of Africa take to improve food security across the continent?

2. Does solar power offer Africa a workable solution to meet the energy needs of its member nations?

3. Has Nigeria prevailed in its war with Boko Haram?

4. What steps must Nigeria take to prevent famine and starvation in 2017?

5. Is South Sudan on the brink of an ethnic civil war?

6. Will the newly issued bond notes solve the economic woes faced by Zimbabwe?

7. Does al-Shabab pose a significant threat to Somalia’s future?

8. Should South Africa turn to nuclear power as a source of energy?

9. What steps must be taken to solve the harms from drought currently afflicting the southern part of Africa?

10. What are the biggest challenges facing Africa in the near future?

Saturday December 17^th

Round 1 - Global Economics

1. Does global economic growth help or harm our world’s natural resources?

2. Will the China/Pakistan Economic Corridor benefit Pakistan’s economy?

3. Has the International Monetary Fund’s involvement in the Euro area crisis been beneficial?

4. Do hedge fund speculation in global commodities markets do more harm than good?

5. What are the biggest challenges facing the global economy in 2016 and beyond?

6. Does the strengthening U.S. dollar pose a threat to global economic growth?

7. Does the rise in political populism threaten global economic growth?

8. Is the world moving away from globalization?  

9. What impact will the Trump presidency have on global economic growth?

10. Will debt in the developing world be the next nail in the coffin of global economic growth?

Round 2 – U.S. Politics

1. What does a Trump presidency mean for the future of the Supreme Court?

2. In the aftermath of the 2016 election what is next for the Democratic Party?

3. Has the time come for the United States to adopt term limits for members of Congress?

4. How will the Trump presidency reshape America’s political landscape?

5. What steps must be taken to heal the growing rift in America’s electorate?

6. Do signs point to Donald Trump shrinking the size and role of the U.S. federal government?

7.Were the Democrats correct in retaining Nancy Pelosi as their leader in the U.S. House of Representatives?

8. What do Donald Trumps cabinet choices say about his administrations priorities for the next four years?

9. Should Congress put an end to presidential conflict of interest exemptions? 

10. Will Congress actually provide a check on the power of President Donald Trump?

Round 3 – Asia

1. What impact will China’s assertions of sovereign control over areas of the South China Sea have on their relations within the region?

2. Should the United States put an end to its tariffs on Chinese steel?

3. What does the future hold for Japan’s relations with Russia?

4. Is Aung San Suu Kyi failing to meet the human rights needs of Myanmar?

5. What steps should be taken to solve the water security needs of Asia?

6. Should the United States put an end to its “One China” policy?

7. Does the China to Nepal rail line threaten India’s economy?

8. What steps must be taken to resolve the India – Pakistan conflict over Kashmir?

9. Is China succeeding in its efforts to combat climate change?

10. Why is foreign direct investment in China proving elusive?

Round 4 - US Social Issues

1. Has the time come for the United States to abolish the death penalty?

2. Should biometric controls be required on all firearms sold in the United States?

3. Should the United States place a ban on the genetic engineering of babies?

4. Should the United States federal government protect an individual’s right to medically assisted death?

5. What will the most pressing social issues be for America’s next president?

6. What is the answer to America’s overcrowded prison system?

7. What steps should the federal government take to make college more affordable?

8. Does the election of Donald Trump as President threaten to undo America’s progress on LGBTQ rights?

9. What does a Trump presidency mean for women’s rights in the United States?

10. Why do U.S. students still lag behind in international education assessments?

Sunday December 18^th

Round 1 – U.S. Healthcare

1. What impact will a complete rollback of the Affordable Care Act have on health care in the United States?

2. Will the “21^st Century Cures Act” be the spark needed to tackle the world’s most deadly diseases?

3. Should the Affordable Care Act be repealed?

4. Is Tom Price the right choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services?

5. Why is health care so expensive in the United States?

6. What steps should the federal government take to curtail the abuse of prescription opioids?

7. Should Medicare be allowed to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies?

8. Should the United States allow prescription drug imports?

9. Will the GOP have the courage to actually pull the trigger on repealing the Affordable Care Act?

10. Are “Health Savings Accounts” a good source of health care protection for Americans?

Round 2 – Global Energy and Environment

1. What does the future hold for global investment in renewable energy?

2. What impact will a Trump presidency have on international efforts to combat climate change?

3. Is nuclear power the answer to global energy demands?

4. Has the time come for the world to move away from fossil fuels?

5. Is the “Asian Super Grid” dream a viable plan for future global energy distribution?

6. Do rising methane levels pose a more immediate threat for warming than CO2?

7. Will China emerge as the new global leader in environmental protection?

8. What steps must the international community take to eliminate air pollution?

9. Should the world’s nations eliminate coal as a source of energy?

10. Do GMO foods help or hurt our global environment?

Round 3 – U.S. Foreign Policy and International Relations

1. What actions should the United States take next in Syria?

2. What impact will the Philippines decision to move away from its military and economic ties with the U.S. have on American foreign policy in Asia?

3. Is the United States taking the right approach to its relationship with Russia?

4. What steps should the U.S. take to strengthen protection from international cyber attacks?

5. What is America’s most pressing foreign policy challenge in 2016?

6. What impact will a Trump presidency have on America’s relations with its traditional allies?

7. Should the United States do more to embrace human rights as a principle of its foreign policy actions?

8. What impact will Donald Trump’s presidency have on U.S. relations with Mexico?

9. Do United States foreign policy actions do enough to engage Africa?

10. Will the death of Fidel Castro lead to closer ties between the U.S. and Cuba?

Round 4 – International Organizations

<!-- [if gte mso 9]> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"