Wednesday, January 2, 2019

Extemp Questions 2018 Dec


  • Does Michael Cohen’s plea deal substantially change anything for the Trump White House?
  • Can President Trump be convinced to reverse his policies on environmental protection?
  • Is it getting harder for President Trump to reject the impacts of climate change?
  • Does the Republican Party have a problem getting women into elected public office?
  • Will President Trump close the US-Mexico border?
  • Should the US take further action directly against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman?
  • Is pushing for President Trump’s impeachment the way for Democrats to motivate voters for the 2020 election?
  • Are sweeping political changes on the horizon for Taiwan?
  • Will France’s President Macron be forced to pull back on his plans for economic reform?
  • Will the introduction of martial law in Ukraine escalate the conflict with Russia?
  • Can Europe meet its goal to become carbon neutral by 2050?
  • Has North Korea become a global problem?
  • Will the US military draw-down in Afghanistan lead to the Taliban’s return to power?
  • Should Congress expand NASA’s budget?
  • Should the US take the international lead on cleaning up space debris in orbit?
  • Is it time for America to adopt a carbon tax?
  • Should the NFL take more proactive measures to prevent physical and domestic abuse by its players?
  • Will judicial nominations become a major voting issue for Democrats in the 2020 campaign?
  • Will the truce in the trade war with China lead to a new permanent trade agreement?
  • Are President Trump’s hardball trade tactics against China working?
  • What will Qatar’s decision to leave mean for the future of OPEC?
  • Will Congress approve the USMCA agreement?
  • Does the USMCA strike a significantly better deal for American workers than NAFTA?
  • Is traditional Conservatism dead in the Republican Party?
  • How much is the US-China trade war effecting the global economy?
  • Is American law enforcement overlooking the threat posed by right-wing extremists?
  • Is the G-20 still relevant?
  • Will the “Yellow Vest” movement bring down Macron’s Presidency in France?
  • Is ISIS re-establishing itself in Iraq?
  • Does the Democratic Party still have problems connecting to middle class America?
  • What can be done to curb the surge in violence from Boko Haram?
  • Should the international community do more to help Brazil slow its deforestation?
  • Is President Macron paying the price for the failure of past leaders to address the problems in France?
  • Has the American public become numb to the antics and rhetoric of President Trump?
  • What more can the US do to break the military stalemate in Afghanistan?
  • What steps can the Department of Justice take to improve how the US deals with mental illness in jails and prisons?
  • Will good journalism survive social media?
  • Will responsible journalism make it through the Trump presidency intact?
  • Does America’s growing trade deficit with China mark a failure for the Trump White House?
  • Is President Trump losing his trade war with China?
  • Can Democrats use the message of climate change to win at the ballot box in 2020?
  • Will the British get a second Brexit referendum?
  • Will John Kelly’s exit mean even more Chaos in the Trump White House?
  • Can anyone succeed as President Trump’s Chief of Staff?
  • Will the “Yellow Vest” movement block President Trump from enacting his desired economic reforms?
  • What can President Macron do to quell the violent “yellow vest” protests?
  • Will the “Yellow Vest” movement mark a major turning point for President Macron? 
  • Will staffing problems a significant impediment to success for the Trump Administration?
  • Should there be a global moratorium on new uses for CRISPR technology?
  • Should the DOJ do more oversight of state and local law enforcement’s use of lethal force?
  • Will the new Congress force President to take stronger action against Saudi Arabia?
  • What should be done to curb the growing frequency of accidents in the US military?
  • Can stability in Syria exist if Assad remains in power?
  • What more should Congress be doing to prevent Russian interference in American elections?
  • Should silicon valley be doing more to prevent to spread of extremist recruiting online?
  • Is there a path for the US to exit Afghanistan safely?
  • Has the US abandoned its global leadership role?
  • Is a hard Brexit now inevitable?
  • How damaging would a no-deal Brexit be?
  • What can be done to bring America out of this period of political divisiveness?
  • Is the Mueller investigation tightening the noose around the Oval Office?
  • Has Brexit already weakened the EU?
  • Should the US further decrease its military support to Saudi Arabia?
  • Is the pursuit of a diplomatic solution to end the war in Yemen still a fool’s errand?
  • Will the expansion of Internet access in Cuba eventually lead to political reforms?
  • Will the ACA survive another round of court battles?
  • Should the DOJ establish a nationwide investigation into allegations of sexual abuse by church clergy?
  • What measures should the Trump Administration take to counteract Russian disinformation campaigns against the United States?
  • Can Theresa May get further Brexit concessions out of the EU27?
  • Will Maria Butin’a plea deal shed new light on Russia tactics for interfering in US politics?
  • Is China’s social credit system doomed to fail?
  • How much are senior level staff shake-ups impeding the Trump Administration’s ability to govern effectively?
  • Will President Trump start to pay a political price for economic volatility in the market?
  • Is the trade war with China starting to eat into President Trump’s political support base?
  • Should America increase its role in global public health?
  • Will Obamacare survive a renewed legal challenge in the courts?
  • Is Rudy Giuliani a liability for President Trump?
  • Can a divided Congress work out a compromise deal for immigration reform?
  • Has Trump failed to deliver for American veterans?
  • What steps should be taken to improve leadership at the Department of Veteran’s Affairs?
  • Will federal criminal justice reform lead to similar changes at the state and local levels?
  • Can the Trump Administration properly execute on school safety reforms?
  • Will US stock markets spring back in 2019?
  • Will the US military withdrawal from Syria bring a resurgence of ISIS?
  • How will the US withdrawal from Syria reshape the Middle East?
  • Can President Trump get re-elected if he doesn’t deliver the wall?
  • Is America adequately prepared for the security threat posed by China?
  • Will the new Congress push to more tightly regulate social media?
  • Is America abandoning the Kurds yet again?
  • What can be done to increase the number women in STEM jobs in America?
  • Does the federal government need to set aggressive targets for carbon reduction?
  • Will surviving a no confidence vote improve Theresa May’s chances of getting her Brexit deal through Parliament?
  • Will Bolsonaro pull Brazil out of the Paris climate change agreement?
  • Will the resignation of Secretary Mattis hamper Trump Administration efforts in the Middle East?
  • Will the Hodeidah ceasefire in Yemen hold?
  • Will the rejection of President Macron’s policies grow political support for the far right in France?
  • Is a global moratorium needed to block the use of CRISPR technology on humans?
  • How much relief will the Hodeidah ceasefire provide for the humanitarian crisis in Yemen?
  • Can the UK’s Conservative Party find a way out of the political crisis caused by Brexit?
  • Will protesters in Hungary bring down the government of Viktor Orban?
  • What steps can Facebook take to regain the trust of its users?
  • Will the US withdrawal from Yemen embolden Iran to be more aggressive across the region?
  • Are Bitcoin and the blockchain still the future of banking?
  • Is the Iraqi government on a campaign of revenge against the Sunni civilian population?
  • Is ISIS back on the rise in Iraq?
  • Can anything be done to prevent to resurgence of ISIS in Syria and Iraq?
  • Is the US in a better position against North Korea than it was a year ago?
  • Do staff shake-ups show that the wheels are coming off of the Trump White House?
  • Is President Trump doing lasting damage to America’s alliances around the globe?
  • Will President Trump get the funding he wants to build the wall?
  • Does President Macron have what it takes to manage the crisis of the yellow-vest protests?
  • Is the yellow-vest movement changing politics in France?
  • Will President Trump’s base remain loyal if he can’t deliver on the wall?
  • What will the US drawdown in Afghanistan mean for the global war on terror?
  • Will the new Congress be a stronger check on President Trump’s foreign policy?
  • Is the US economy headed towards a downturn?
  • What are the long-term implications of a US military drawdown in Afghanistan?
  • What does Secretary Mattis’ departure mean for US foreign policy in the remainder of President Trump’s term?
  • How long will the partial government shutdown last?
  • How big of a risk to air travel to drone aircraft pose?
  • What can be done to stem the violence in Kashmir?
  • Will President Trump pay a political price for the US withdrawal from Syria?
  • Can anything be done to bring government corruption in Afghanistan under control?
  • Should the Modi government be doing more to curb pollution in the Ganges river?
  • What steps can the Japanese government take to better economically cope with an aging population?
  • Has Theresa May lost control of her government?
  • Will the Irish backstop scuttle a Brexit deal?
  • What steps should the Trump Administration take to improve the federal government’s handling of natural disasters?
  • Should Mark Zuckerberg be removed as Facebook’s Chairman?
  • Is Facebook living up to its global responsibilities?
  • Should the federal government be doing more to alleviate housing shortages in America?
  • What will the US withdrawal from Syria mean for America’s Kurdish allies?
  • Will the US military withdrawal from Syria do long-term damage to America’s credibility in the Middle East?
  • Will President Trump face a serious primary challenge in 2020?
  • Will the American drawdown in Afghanistan lead to a Taliban resurgence?
  • How will the American military drawdown change the security situation in Afghanistan?
  • How far will President Trump be willing to take the government shutdown?
  • Is Republican support for President Trump beginning to waver?
  • Will US withdrawal extend the civil war in Syria?
  • Is the EU’s handling of the migrant crisis improving?
  • Is the Greek economy getting back on the right track?
  • Has ISIS been defeated?
  • Does Brexit pose a serious risk to the global economy?
  • Can Brazil’s President Bolsonaro make real progress combating government corruption?
  • Are President Trump’s decisions damaging his business brand?
  • Has the world abandoned the Rohingya refugees?
  • What is still needed to make it safe for the Rohingya to return to Myanmar?
  • Can anything be done to break through the backlog and delays in India’s justice system?
  • Is Burundi still committed to peace?
  • Should the death of detained migrant children in US custody cost Secretary Nielsen her job?
  • Should The Fed slow its raising of interest rates?
  • Is President Trump’s unpredictability causing volatility in the market?
  • Does shutting down the government over the wall play well with President Trump’s political base?