Extemp Questions - Summer 2011

April to June 2011
• Does Brazil’s economy have a bright future?
• Can Brazil’s government reign in corruption?
• Is online piracy still a major problem for the music industry?
• Should Obama push Israel harder on a two-state solution with Palestine?
• Does America’s derivatives market need its own regulatory agency?
• Should large banks be banned from trading financial derivatives?
• Is the NATO strategy in Afghanistan failing?
• Should America pursue stronger regional Free Trade Agreements with Asia?
• When should central banks begin to tighten monetary easing policies?
• Is a nuclear weapon free world an unattainable goal?
• Will cuts to NASA funding hurt US technological and economic development in the long run?
• What does the growing Tea Party movement say about politics in America?
• What does Mexico’s government need to succeed in the war on drugs?
• What more can the federal government do to curb US demand in the war on drugs?
• Should the EU bail out Greece’s economy/
• Can India’s economy grow as fast as China’s?
• Should America seek stronger strategic and economic ties with India?
• Is the Catholic Church taking the accusations of child and sexual abuse by the clergy seriously?
• What impact will Britain’s election have on UK relations with the EU?
• What does the future hold for Thailand’s monarchy?
• Should EU nations cut back on quantitative easing
• Is domestic terrorism being given an appropriate level of attention by the US Department of Homeland Security?
• Is polarization among America’s two major parties major parties making the US ungovernable?
• Should the federal government provide additional assistance to the states to help them overcome budget shortfalls?
• Is a fresh election in Zimbabwe necessary?
• Is standardized testing given too much weight in American public education?
June through Aug 2011
• Will Britain’s coalition government survive?
• Does the Arab Spring pose a serious threat for Israel?
• Will the Tea Party gain influence in the 2012 election?
• What compromises is Israel able to make to secure a lasting peace?
• Would a UN General Assembly vote to recognize a Palestinian state lead to a more aggressive posture from Israel?
• Will the Medicate debate hamper work on budget legislation?
• Can a moderate win the Republican nomination?
• Is the federal government doing enough to combat unemployment?
• Will sectarian politics in Bahrain reignite regional conflicts?
• What does the future hold for the politics of Prime Minister Silvio Berluscone?
• What should be done to grow Italy’s economy?
• Can Italy continue to avoid the Euro crisis?
• Does America face a double dip recession?
• Will Greece’s austerity measures succeed?
• Should the retirement age be increased to protect social security?
• Can cuts to federal entitlements spending solve America’s debt problems?
• Is America’s deficit spending a risk to US national security?
• Should President Obama seek Congressional for US actions in Libya?
• What role should the US play in international peacekeeping efforts?
• Is sectarian conflict growing in Syria?
• How strong is the Assad government in Syria?
• How can the opposition win in Syria?
• Will austerity measure collapse the Greek government?
• How can China continue to sustain it's economic growth?
• Can China grow its middle class?
• How should the IMF handle the European debt crisis?
• Should developing nations be given greater powers in the IMF?
• Does America need a balanced budget amendment?
• What role should the US play in Libya?
• What does the US debt debate mean for the 2012 election?
• Who can succeed Hugo Chavez?
• What has caused the grassroots of the Republican Party to move towards the right?
• How can the US create a viable long term debt reduction plan?
• Has President Obama done enough to push Congress on deficit reduction?
• Does Michelle Bachman have a viable shot at the Republican nomination for 2012?
• Does America need a balanced budget amendment?
• How will the scandals in the UK affect Rupert Murdoch’s business interests in the US?
• How can the Euro zone resolve it’s debt crisis?
• Do Spain’s proposed austerity measures go too far?
• Will / Should the America’s credit rating still be downgraded?
• Is Congress doing enough to combat unemployment?
• What more should Congress do to reduce unemployment?
• Has America’s economy lost the ability to create new jobs?
• Will politics break up the Euro zone economies?
• Will Peru’s economy succeed under its new President?
• Is it time for Rupert Murdoch to step down?
• Can the debt crisis lead European economies to further integration?
• Has corruption in South Africa improved under President Zuma?
• Has partisanship made America ungovernable?
• Can Egypt overcome it’s hurdles in the transition to democracy?
• Is America headed for another recession?
• Should America face additional credit downgrades?
• Has partisan bickering by a few individuals made America ungovernable?
• Will a weak economy make Obama vulnerable in the 2012 election?
• Does America face a long term military engagement in Libra?
• Is Islam incompatible with western style democracy?
• How much did riots in London change international perceptions of Britain?
• What can be done to combat ongoing unemployment in the UK?
• Can the new Thai government build a lasting unity government?
• What do the London riots say about the state of the economy in the UK?
• Can Syria’s protest groups create a unified opposition?
• Will Syrian opposition fall to sectarian differences?
• Can the European Central Bank continue to offset the sovereign debt problems in Europe?
• What effect will the US credit rating downgrade have on long-term economic stability?
• Is long-term restructuring of US entitlements spending politically feasible?
• Will the US institute another round of quantitative easing?
• Does the US patent system need a major overhaul?