Extemp Questions

From September/October 2012

• Is a jobless economy sufficient for America?
• Should The Fed continue quantitative easing policies?
• How can the Romney-Ryan campaign effectively communicate with American middle-class voters?
• Will the risk of sequestration be enough incentive for Congress to push through real deficit reforms?
• What can be done to bring the Shabab militia under control in Somalia?
• Can the ECB save the Euro?
• Should America be more actively involved in Syria’s civil war?
• Is the Arab Spring moving in the right direction?
• Is further regulation of large investment banks necessary?
• Is real political reform in Japan on the horizon?
• Should the UN take more action in Syria?
• Can diplomacy succeed in Syria?
• How far abroad will Syria’s unrest spread?
• Will fighting in Syria spark regional sectarian violence?
• What role will gay marriage play in the Presidential election?
• Will another round of quantitative easing by the Federal Reserve help America’s lingering unemployment?
• Can democracy thrive in Libya?
• Should Israel push to fully integrate the West Bank into the Israeli state?
• Is an ECB bailout of Spain’s economy necessary?
• Can anything be done to reduce corruption in Eastern Europe?
• What can be done to improve America’s approval rating in the international community?
• Will German opposition to large bailouts block financial reforms in the Euro Zone?
• Should America adopt a cap and trade program to reduce carbon emissions?
• Do the Presidential and Vice Presidential debates still have the ability to change voter’s minds?
• Will Romney’s 47% remark sink his campaign?
• Is significant entitlement reform a necessary part of resolving the US debt crisis?
• Does Iran’s continued development of nuclear weapons mark a failure of President Obama’s foreign policy?
• Will Israel take unilateral military action to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons?
• Should America take more proactive measures to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon?
• Should Congress cut foreign aid to Egypt?
• Is the Doha round of global trade talks dead?
• Has China’s membership in the WTO been good for the global economy?
• What actions should the UN take to make long term development efforts in Africa more successful?
• Should Social Security have a means test?
• What can be done to reduce anti-American sentiment in the Middle East?
• Can bi-partisan cooperation be restored in Congress?
• Do the Presidential debates still have the ability to influence crucial undecided voters?
• Have coalition forces been successful in training and preparing the Afghan armed forces?
• What does the future hold for Libya?
• Can Middle Eastern nations turn the chaos of the Arab Spring into lasting political reforms?
• Should the UN do more to assist Libya with improving it’s security?
• Should violence between NATO and Afghan security forces delay the withdrawal of NATO combat troops?
• Can the ECB’s purchase of sovereign debt stave off a break-up of the Euro?
• Have central banks’ continuation of quantitative easing programs put the global economy at greater risk?
• Can Egypt’s President Morsi curb anti-American sentiment in the region?
• Has the influence of labor unions on US national elections become irrelevant?
• Has the Occupy Wall Street accomplished anything substantive?
• Can the Congress party lead real economic reform in India?
• What does the future hold for nuclear power in Japan?
• Should economic sanctions against Myanmar be lifted?
• Will the strained relationship between China and Japan hard the global economy?
• Is real political reform in Russia possible?
• Should Britain leave the EU?
• Will the Obama Administration’s record on unemployment cost the President black voters?
• Does India face significant political upheaval in the near term?
• Will proposed Medicare changes cost the Romney-Ryan ticket elderly voters?
• Can India continue to build its middle class?
• Is military action necessary to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons?
• Should America loosen its immigration policies?
• Is the entrepreneurial spirit of the American economy waning?
• Can reforms to the LIBOR rate be made effective?
• Do changes to the LIBOR rate pose a significant risk to Britain's economic recovery?
• How can bipartisanship be restored in Congress?
• Should the United States negotiate directly with Iran to preven the development of nuclear weapons?

Extemp Questions July/Aug 2012

From July / August 2012

• Has Romney’s record at Bain turned from political asset to political liability?
• Does American unemployment still face significant risk from offshore outsourcing?
• How can drug related violence in Mexico be brought under control?
• Does the rise of social entrepreneurship indicate international aid organizations and NGOs are failing the world’s poor?
• Should the UN do more to aid African development projects?
• Can China continue to grow its economy while addressing enviornmental protections?
• What should be done to reform the British banking system?
• Has Congress done enough to correct the problem of banks that are too big to fail?
• Does the return to power of the PRI in Mexico signal a return to authoritarian power?
• What can President Enrique Pena Nieto do to modernize and grow the Mexican economy?
• Is new gun control legislation a possibility for Congress?
• Is a new financial crisis in Spain inevitable?
• Does manipulation of the LIBOR rate indicate that government oversight is incapable of effectively regulating large banks?
• Should Congress do more to reduce America’s foreign energy dependence?
• Should the LIBOR scandal provok further SEC investigations into US financial institutions?
• How can Romney’s campaign win over moderate voters while keepin the conservative base?
• Is the selection of Paul Ryan as a running mate a game-changing choice for Mitt Romney?
• Will the selection of Paul Ryan as running mate help Mitt Romney win over moderate voters?
• What real assets does Paul Ryan bring to the Romney campaign?
• Will Medicare reform be a significant issue for the Presidential campaign?
• Should Greece be forced to leave the Euro Zone?
• Should the Fed take additional steps to bolster economic growth?
• Will the state of Europe’s economy dampen US economic growth?
• Is the international community doing enough to combat global poverty?
• Should Germany push to break up the single European currenty?
• Should the ECB do more to stabilize Euro Zone economies?
• What does the future hold for the European Monetary Union?
• How much will a lagging European economy continue to hinder US economic recovery?
• Is a break-up of the Euro possible?
• Are economic sanctions against Iran strict enough?
• Do American gun control laws lack serious enforcement?
• What does the future hold for Medicare?
• Can Greece afford to stay a member of the Euro?
• Can the Euro be dismantled without catastropic economic effects?
• Will this election see a reversal of fortune for the Tea Party?
• Will the negative tone of the Presidential campaigns impede the winner’s ability to govern effectively?
• What impact do party conventions really have on the Presidential election?
• Is additional federal economic stimulus needed?
• How can Americans faith in government be restored?
• How significant a role will national energy policy play in the November elections?
• How can the Republican Party win over women voters?
• How can Mitt Romney connect with middle-class voters?
• Can Syria’s government continue to hold against rebel forces?
• Is the US housing market starting to show signs of recovery?
• Should the ECB impose specific conditional reforms before providing additional bailout funds?
• What impact will joining the WTO have on Russia’s economy?
• Are conditions improving in Somalia?
• What more should the international community do to promote private investment in developing nations’ infrastructure?
• Does a strained relationship between China and Japan pose a risk to long term economic growth in Asia?
• Should the German government establish a contingency plan for the possible break-up of the Euro?
• Can the Euro Zone crisis be resolved if Greece leaves the Euro?
• Is corruption in Pakistan unresolvable?
• Are drone attacks counter-productive to American strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan?
• Do radical Islamic forces in the Afghan-Pakistan borderlands still pose a significant risk to coalition forces?
• What can the US do to improve its popularity in the Muslim world?
• Should the Pakistani government do more to bring radical Islamists into the political process?
• Is real bi=partisanship in Congress a lost cause?

Extemp Questions May/June 2012

 

From May/June 2012

●        How can Romney win over women voters?

●        Does the US need to rethink its foreign policy strategy with regards to Russia?

●        Can Obama still effectively campaign on a message of hop and change?

●        Can Romney effectively convince the American voting public that he has a plan to revive the economy?

●        Has Wall Street learned from the mistakes of the financial meltdown?

●        Is further regulation of big banks necessary?

●        Is there enough accountability in the US financial system?

●        Is partisan politics slowing economic recovery in the US?

●        Should Social Security be means tested?

●        Can Romney use the issue of gay marriage to win over social conservatives in the general election?

●        Should Congress pass legislation banning same-sex marriage?

●        Should Dodd-Frank finance reform legislation be repealed?

●        What impact will the issue of same-sex marriage have on the 2012 Presidential election?

●        Have European austerity measures been successful?

●        Will negative campaigning dominate the Presidential election?

●        Should campaign finance reforms be passed to bock soft money donations?

●        Is the EPA overzealous in its enforcement of current environmental regulations?

●        What role should Congress play to reduce unemployment in the near term?

●        Has the Obama Administration lost its focus on economic recovery?

●        Should Germany do more to save the floundering European economy?

●        When will American elections see effective campaign finance reform?

●        Is the French government doing enough to curb unemployment?

●        Has Myanmar made real headway in political reforms?

●        Is Congress doing enough to reform immigration?

●        Can the Obama Administration make headway on comprehensive immigration reform before the election?

●        What role should America play in Syria?

●        What can Mitt Romney do to grow the support of Latino voters for the Republican Party?

●        Can the economy of Greece be brought back from the brink?

●        Can China’s economy fully modernize without sacrificing environmental protections?

●        What breakthroughs are necessary to get the Mid-East Peace process back on track?

●        Is the Chinese Yuan still significantly overvalued on global currency markets?

●        Have European fiscal austerity measures been successful?

●        Is the European Central Bank doing enough to encourage economic growth?

●        Is the US doing enough to prevent international nuclear weapons proliferation?

●        Should Israel take preemptive military action against Iran’s nuclear weapons program?

●        Is a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine still feasible?

●        Should Congress increase the US foreign aid budget?

●        Are American anti-terror efforts in Africa effective?

●        What can the international community do to curb rampant corruption in Afghanistan?

●        Are the current strategies for reconciliation in Afghanistan on track for success?

●        What should Romney look for in a running mate?

●        Is the federal government doing enough to enforce immigration policy?

●        Should America provide amnesty for undocumented alients currently in the US?

●        Is effective immigration reform in the US being roadblocked by partisan politics?

●        Should the ECB do more to support the Greek economy?

●        Does the Spanish government have the tools necessary to support it’s failing banks?

●        Will Greece drop out of the Euro?

●        Can the UN create a compromise that prevents Iran from developing nuclear weapons?

●        What influence will militant Islamist groups have on the new Egypttian government?

●        Should Congress regulate the pay of top bank executives?

●        Does the Facebook IPO signal a return of  a strong tech market?

●        Is the Chinese economy overly dependant on export markets?

●        What can be done to control global overfishing?

●        Is commercial space exploration ready for prime time?

●        Is China’s economic growth sustainable?

●        How can China increase consumer spending in domestic markets?

●        Can Spanish bank bailouts prevent a resurgence/escalation of the Euro crisis?

●        When will the US housing market fully recover?

●        Can Ireland be used as an example of successful austerity measures for the rest of Europe?

●        What effect would Greece’s default on debts have on the rest ofo the European economy?

●        Is American campaign finance reform a lost cause?

●        Is American economy recovery faltering?

●        Will Germany support economic bailouts to prevent a collapse of the Euro?

●        Can the ECB keep the Euro zone from disintegration?

●        Should the US federal government spend more on infrastructure projects?

●        Is repeal of Obama’s health care legislation  (alternative wording: the Affordable Care Act) realistic?

●        Can partisan politics be kept out of the judicial branch?

●        Are peacekeeping operations in Sudan failing?

●        Should the UN do more to support international peacekeeping efforts?

●        Should the UK join the Euro?

●        Could a new Mexican government bring real stability to the country?

●        Does the dissolution Egypt’s Parliament signal a new round of  political instability in the region?

●        How will States implement the Affordable Care Act?

●        What’s next for Obamacare?

●        Will the Affordable Care Act put America’s hospitals under greater financial strain?

●        Should America rethink it’s foreign policy with Egypt?

●        What can the international community do to curb political instability in Egypt?

●        Does the Arab Spring pose a significant risk to the security of Israel?

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