Extemp Questions - Nov / Dec. 2014

November

• How well is Germany coping with the influx of immigrants? 
• Should Congress pass “right to die” protections for terminally ill patients? 
• Should the international community provide more food aid to South Sudan? 
• Who will be the new leader in Burkina Faso? 
• Has the US military failed to properly address the issue of sexual assault? 
• Should the EU do more to discourage Russian intervention in the Ukraine? 
• Should banks that are “too big to fail” face additional regulatory scrutiny? 
• What will Republican control of congress mean for the remainder of Obama’s presidency?
•  Can President Obama and the Republican congressional majority work together? 
• What is needed to push back the Islamic State militants? 
• What does the fighting in Kobane represent in the fight against ISIS? 
• Is Modi on track to be an effective leader for India? 
• Will the new Republican majority in Congress be able to push forward legislation on the Keystone pipeline? 
• Should the US be more actively engaged in Syria? 
• Should the African Union take a more active role in the fight against Boko Haram forces? 
• Does the defeat of ISIS require the agreement of Sunni leadership? 
• What impact will demographic changes to America have on the future of the Republican Party? 
• Is there a bright future for global economic growth? 
• Will Catalan gain more autonomy from the central Spanish government? 
• Is a nuclear deal with Iran still attainable? 

December

• Has America underestimated the threat that ISIS poses? 
• Will additional US ground troops be necessary to beat back Islamic State forces in Iraq? 
• What does the future hold for the leadership if the Democratic Party? 
• Is the justices stem failing African Americans? 
• Would greater whistleblower protections be in the best interest of the American public? 
• Is Japan's corporate culture holding back its economy? 
• Why has the Colombian government aight with FARC guerrilla lasted so long? 
• Will the Obama Administration's use of executive action on immigration have negative u it ended consequences? 
• What can the EU do to solve problems with illegal immigration? 
• What effect will the changing demographics of age have on the US economy in re next decade? 
• What impact will falling oil prices have in the global economy? 
• What role should the Army play in Thailand's politics? Will Hong Kong's Umbrella Revolution lead to any real reforms? 
• Should the African Union employ greater military force in the fight against Boko Haram? 
• Do rebel forces in Syria pose a real threat to the Assad regime? 
• Is federal financial regulation of a Wall Street too weak? 
• Will President Obama face political fallout for his foreign policy changes towards Cuba? 
• What effect will US foreign policy changes towards Cuba have on the future of the Castro regime? 
• Does the falling value of the ruble pose a serious economic risk for Russia? 
• What effect will normalized relations with Cuba have on the American political landscape for 2016? 
• Will Japan’s national elections result in significant structural reforms to the Japanese economy? 
• Should the federal government do more to improve public cybersecurity? 
• Should businesses do more to protect the cybersecurity of their employees, clients and customers? 
• Does American intellectual property law need significant reform? 
• How should the American government respond to North Korean cyberattack against Sony? 
• Is the US government doing enough to combat cyberterrorism? 
• Will America’s change in diplomatic status achieve any real political change in Cuba? 
• Should America increase sanctions against Venezuela? 
• Does Greece’s debt still threaten Europe’s economy?

Extemp Questions Oct 2014

October

• Could the Hong Kong protests turn into another Tiananmen Square?
• Has the international response to the Ebola crisis been too slow?
• Does Argentina have a way out of its current debt crisis?
• How well are Afghan security forces coping with the resurgent Taliban?
• What is the best way forward to end the conflict in South Sudan?
• Can allied forces overcome other disagreements to effectively combat ISIS?
• Has the WHO’s response to Ebola been deficient?
• Can Turkish and Kurdish force maintain an alliance?
• What role should Kurdish forces play in combating ISIS?
• Should Pakistan recognize Diwali as a national holiday?
• Has Chile been able to move beyond the legacy of Augusto Pinochet?
• What steps can the French government take to bring the economy back on track?
• What future will President Dilma Rousseff bring to Brazil?
• Will escalating violence in Iraq lead to greater US involvement?
• Will the GOP gain control of the Senate?

Extemp Questions Aug / Sept 2014

August

• What’s needed to establish a functioning democracy in Thailand?
• Should the US threaten to pull military support for Israel?
• Should America provide additional aid to Syrian rebel forces?
• Can a new government bring stability to Iraq?
• Should NATO use force to block Russian intervention into eastern Ukraine?
• Can continued attacks by Islamic State militants in Iraq be curtailed by American military force?
• What more should be done to halt the spread of Ebola in west Africa?
• Should NATO send military arms to Kurdish forces to combat Islamic State militants?
• Are Islamic State militants a significant threat to the US?
• Should NATO forces seek to join with Syrian President Assad’s forces to combat Islamic State militants?
• What does the future hold for the Eurozone economies?
• Can airstrikes meet US objectives for combating Islamic State militants?

Sept

• What can be done to hold back Russia from encroachment in the Ukraine?
• Are further sanctions needed against Russia?
• Is public support from Arab nations necessary to fight back effectively against Islamic State militants?
• What long term effects will the Ebola outbreak have on Africa economies?
• Can rival nations in the Middle East find common ground in combatting the Islamic State militants?
• Do sanctions against Russia help or hurt the Ukraine peace process?
• What long term effects would Scottish Independence have on tthe United Kingdom?
• Should the EU do more to help bolster Eurozone economies?
• Can UN peacekeeping forces stabilize the crisis in the Central African Republic?
• How much has quantitative easing helped the US economy?
• Can Syrian rebels backed by America be an effective force against Islamic State militants?
• Is active US military support needed in the Ukraine?
• Is it time for the US to change federal laws against marijuana?
• Should the European Central Bank provide more quantitative easing?
• Should the Fed raise interest rates?
• Has the militarization of America’s police forces gone too far?
• Will new leadership bring much needed stability to Afghanistan?
• Will ongoing clashes between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian separatists create an energy crisis for Europe?
• Have European austerity measures gone too far?
• Are the goals of pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong achievable?

Extemp Questions June / July 2014

June

• Can new Egyptian leadership bring about needed reforms?
• What long term effects will Edward Snowden’s information leaks have on US national security?
• What can be done to curb the rising costs of higher education?
• What can the Iraqi government do to ensure security?
• Does the ISIS terrorist group pose a serious risk to US interests in the Middle East?
• Is the terrorist group ISIS a clear and present danger to the security of the United States?
• Will the Tea Party faction hold sway over the GOP in the midterm primaries?
• Should the federal government do more to curb the costs of higher education?

July

• What does the future hold for the Kurdish region of Iraq?
• Should the US push Israel to pull back on the recent Gaza occupation?
• Could Russia be held liable for the downing of Flight 17?
• Should the US take a more active role in the conflict between the Ukraine and Russia?
• Will the escalating casualties in Syria be enough to get the international community to intervene?
• What does the long-term US economic outlook suggest about America’s economic influence internationally?
• Has the US real estate market rebounded?
• Should immigration reform be a higher priority for Congress?
• How well cna the Russian economy weather international sanctions?
• Can the UN provide enough international pressure to force a Gaza cease-fire?
• What effects will Argentina’s debt default have on the long term health of that nation’s economy?

Extemp Questions April/May 2014

April

• What doe the future hold for former Pakistani leader Pervez Musharraf?
• How should the international community be reacting to Russia’s annexation of Crimea?
• Should the US do more to alleviate poverty in Afghanistan?
• How can the Afghan government develop the economy
• What can the international community do to curb the violence in the Central African Republic?
• Will Obamacare be a losing issues for Democrats in the midterm elections?
• Can Republicans win back the majority?
• Should NSA domestic surveillance programs be curbed?
• Should America be doing more to aid Syrian refugees?
• What does the failure of the international community to stabilize Syria say about the state of international diplomacy?
• What will the EU’s Sentinel satellite help us discover about the Earth?
• Can the international community end the ongoing death and human suffering in the Central African Republic?
• Are American police forces overly militarized?
• Is the international community reacting appropriately to Russian action in the Ukraine?
• Will economic sanctions be sufficient to deter Russia from further intervention in the Ukraine?
• When will the Internet revolution reach the Cuban economy?
• Will the trial of Abu Hamza al-Masri mean for the war on terror?
• How should NATO countries react to continued Russian action in the Ukraine?
• What can Russia do to make it’s economy attractive to foreign investors?
• Are American tech stocks overvalued?
• Does the Eurozone  require additional quantitative easing?
• Can upcoming elections provide a real political solution for Syria?
• What risk does the ongoing crisis in Ukraine pose to the NATO alliance?
• What should be done to stop the killings in South Sudan?

May

• Will Russia Invade Ukraine?
• Should sanctions be targeted against Russian President Vladimir Putin?
• Will the peace deal in South Sudan hold?
• Are women in positions of power held to a different standard than men?
• What does new leadership mean for the future of India?
• Is the political influence of the Tea Party waning?
• Will anger and frustration ignite much needed reform in the Department of Veterans Affairs?
• What does a military coup mean for the future of Thailand?
• How long will the military remain in control of Thailand?
• Will the “Right to be Forgotten” decision in the European court change the way tech and Internet companies operate in the US?
• Will the staggering number of General Motors recall’s have an impact on the larger US economy?
• Should the federal government push for a national data breach notification law?
• Should western nations push Saudi Arabia for greater political rights for women?
• Can President Obama’s foreign policy shift towards soft-power diplomacy successfully redefine America’s international role?

Extemp Questions March 2014

March 2014

• Is America’s policy towards Syria failing?
• Will the the new Ukrainian leadership seek closer ties to Europe and the EU?
• Is it time for a new international strategy in Syria?
• Will Mexican and US government actions against the Sinaloa drug cartel lead to further violence in the ar on drugs?
• Should the US impose sanctions on Russia?
• Is America’s policy influence on the global stage weakening?
• Should American foreign policy be a keystone issue for the 2014 midterm elections?
• Will internal disagreements over social issues weaken the Republican Party in the midterm elections?
• Should America be more actively engaged with Venezuela?
• Will Congress levy sanctions against Venezuela?
• Are free and fair elections in Pakistan possible?
• Should the US take a more active role in Darfur?
• What more should the International community do to curb the violence in the Sudan?
• What has been the legacy of Hugo Chavez?
• Will Western sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis have the intended effect?
• What effect will economic sanctions have on Russia?
• Can international pressure stop Russian actions in Crimea?
• Should NCAA rules allow college athletes to be paid?
• Will the looming Obamacare enrollment deadline encourage more young people to sign-up?

extemp questions from Jan / Feb 2014

• What is the outlook for Obamacare in 2014?
• Should the individual mandate in Obamacare be delayed?
• Is security in Iraq still a primary concern for stability?
• Will a deteriorating security situation in Sudan cause the international community to intervene?
• Does the deal to freeze Iran’s nuclear development mean real progress?
• Are international peacekeeping forces necessary to maintain stability in the Central African Republic?
• What is needed to maintain peace in the Central African Republic?
• Will new peace talks make any headway in South Sudan?
• Should the international community reduce sanctions against Iran?
• Is it time for the US to end the embargo against Cuba?
• Are French President Hollande’s proposed spending cuts a distraction from personal allegations against him?
• Will a compromise US budget deal encourage further bipartisan cooperation in the US Congress?
• Has America’s foreign policy lost touch with the world?
• How important will the fight against global poverty be in bringing peace to conflict zones?
• Will renewed protests in Egypt create a path to stability or just more violence?
• Can the new round of Syrian peace talks in Geneva succeed?
• Do the protests in Ukraine signal a major government revolution?
• Should the US be more actively engaged in the Syrian peace talks?
• Is 2014 the year the Chinese economy slows?
• Can the Colombian government and the FARC reach a peace deal?
• Can the Taliban retake Afghanistan?
• What’s next for Syria?
• Is online privacy essential for the future of the Internet?
• Should the UN take a more active role in the Central Aftrican Republic crisis?
• Should the US be more concerned about protests and growing dissent in the Ukraine?
• What does the future hold for electronic privacy in the United States?
• Do electronic surveillance programs in the US pose a significant risk to economic growth?
• How long will oil prices remain so high?
• Should the Fed tighten up its loose monetary policies?
• Will Scotland vote for independence?
• Should the international community impose sanctions against the Ukraine?
• Does the UK government need to take drastic measures to reform its education system?
• Can America afford for Congress to keep delaying on immigration reform/
• Is Thailand’s political system rigged against real reforms?
• Will the political crisis in Thailand lead to a split of the country?
• Should the central banks of G-20 nation give their effects on developing nation’s economies greater consideration?
• What does the future hold for US-Russia relations?
• Does Ukraine’s new leadership fac serious questions to their legitimacy?
• What should the EU do about the ongoing problems in the Ukraine?
• What role should the US play  in the Ukraine crisis?
• What steps are necessary for reconciliation in the Ukraine?
• Can the US and Russia cooperate effectively on the international stage?