Extemp Questions

Novice Extemp Questions

National

1.       Will the rise of artificial intelligence cause the loss of jobs or fuel the creation of new ones?

2.       Can Congress and the President successfully implement an agreement to pass DACA legislation?

3.       Can President Trump’s new Chief of Staff bring order to a chaotic White House? 

4.       Should Jeff Sessions resign as Attorney General?

5.       Should the CIA be granted independent authority to conduct drone strikes in Afghanistan?

6.       Was FEMA adequately prepared to deal with the impact of this fall’s hurricanes? 

7.       Is the United States military sufficiently capable of defending its allies from military threats?

Foreign

8.  Have Israeli politicians turned a blind eye to allegations of anti-Semitism against their American political supporters? 

9. Is Egypt’s relationship with Hamas improving? 

10. What explains the decline in Emmanuel Macron’s popularity among French voters? 

11. Will Brexit fuel an exodus of talent from the United Kingdom? 

12. Should wealthy nations bear the cost of rebuilding Caribbean island destroyed by Hurricane Irma? 

13. Should the Chinese government cease its promotion of traditional Chinese medicine to its citizens?

Open Foreign Extemp

1. What country is the best candidate for development of a union of liberal democracy and political Islam? 

2. What steps must El Salvador take to eliminate its gang problem? 

3. What must China and India do to resolve their ongoing border dispute in the Himalayas? 

4. What accounts for the decrease in westward migration by Eastern Europeans? 

5. What must be done to address the global shortage of primary care physicians? 

6. How has Donald Trump’s presidency impacted the state of Asian security? 

7. What steps must Turkey take to improve its rocky relations with the rest of Europe? 

8. What must Germany’s Free Democrats do to regain a more influential role in German government? 

9. What must the world community do to successfully counter North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs? 

10. How will the entry of the FARC into Columbian politics change the nation’s political landscape? 

11. What can Kenya’s political parties do to bring political stability back to the country? 

12. Who will emerge as the next leader of the African National Congress?

Open National Extemp

1.  Now out of the White House, how will Steve Bannon influence the trajectory of the Trump administration? 

2. What steps can the U.S. Navy do to better protect its ships from accidents at sea? 

3. How will President Trump’s pardon of former Sheriff Joe Arpaio impact his level of support in Arizona? 

4. What can American schools and colleges do to support free speech while protecting student safety? 

5. How will the failure of Congress to pass health care reform legislation impact the reelection prospects for Republicans?  

6. How will California’s passage of a “sanctuary state” bill impact federal efforts at controlling illegal immigration? 

7. What can American colleges and universities do to combat hazing among fraternities and sororities?  

8. What steps can White House aides take to bring order to the President’s communications? 

9. How will reductions in State Department personnel impact America’s ability to conduct foreign relations? 

10. What steps must President Trump take to reassure his base that he has not abandoned their interests? 

11. Which issue on President Trump’s legislative agenda has the greatest likelihood of passing in the near term? 

12. What steps must the Trump family take to reassure the American public that its business interests are disentangled from those of their father?