Friday, February 1, 2019

Extemp Questions 2019 Jan


  • Is the two-state solution for Palestine effectively dead?
  • Will President Trump close the US southern border?
  • How far will the Trump White House take the trade war with China?
  • Will the easing of tensions between North and South Korea make it more difficult to finalize a denuclearization deal with Kim Jong-un?
  • Will protests in Sudan result in real political change?
  • Can protesters topple the government of Omar al-Bashir?
  • Is Pope Francis up to the task of reforming the Catholic Church?
  • Is Evangelical voter support for President Trump starting to slip?
  • How much is the Trump Administration setting back global efforts to combat climate change?
  • Will 2020 be the year of the third party candidate?
  • What does a slowing housing market signal about the US economy today?
  • Will US stock market volatility settle in 2019?
  • Should the federal minimum wage be raised?
  • Will Congress pass legislation to make government shutdowns more difficult?
  • What more should the Trump Administration do to combat the rising price of prescription medication?
  • Will a second meeting between Trump and Kim yield real results towards North Korean denuclearization?
  • Should Secretary DeVos change university campus sexual assault guidelines?
  • What impact will US sanctions on oil have for the Venezuelan people?
  • Does the US withdrawal from Syria increase the security threat to America?
  • What does the arrest of Paul Whelan signal about the relationship between the US and Russia?
  • Can the US and China make a new trade deal by March?
  • Should Congress take steps to block the Trump Administration from easing sanctions against Russia?
  • Has the government shutdown shrunk support for President Trump among Congressional Republicans?
  • How much has the trade war with the US hurt the Chinese economy?
  • Are there still issues that can find bipartisan cooperation in Congress?
  • Can Europe find a way to successfully bypass the US and keep the JCPOA deal alive?
  • Is President Trump’s wall a necessary component of American national security?
  • Is the growing crisis in Venezuela destabilizing the rest of Latin America?
  • Does the Trump Administration have a viable long-term strategy for Afghanistan?
  • Are Congressional Democrats pushing impeachment talk too far, too fast?
  • Will new Russian weapons systems trigger a renewed arms race with the US?
  • How long will the partial government shutdown last?
  • What steps should the Republican Party take to build more diversity in its ranks?
  • Do the Democrats have a candidate who can beat President Trump in 2020?
  • Should the US cut foreign aid to Egypt?
  • How quickly will the US actually withdraw from Syria?
  • Does South Korea face a crisis with gaming addiction among teenagers?
  • Is President Trump prepared to work with a divided Congress?
  • Will Prime Minister Netanyahu be indicted?
  • Is bitcoin dead?
  • Is the Trump White House prepared for having a Democratic majority in the House?
  • Should America expand the use of private military contractors?
  • What more can the international community do to protest the Chinese government's treatment of its Uighur population?
  • What will the Jair Bolsonaro Presidency mean for the future of Brazil’s indigenous people?
  • Will the Paris climate change pact survive the Trump Administration?
  • Can President Trump build enough public support get his border wall funding through Congress?
  • Can Venezuela’s President Maduro last through a second term?
  • Is mixed messaging from President Trump and his senior officials damaging America’s interests around the world?
  • What impact is the US trade war with China having on the global economy?
  • What steps should the Trump Administration be taking to better confront Russia on the global stage?
  • Does the US have any good options left to confront Iran’s growing regional influence?
  • Is a no-deal Brexit still avoidable?
  • Is the government shutdown exposing a major rift between President Trump and Republicans in Congress?
  • Can the official election results in the Democratic Republic of the Congo be trusted?
  • Has Guatemala’s President Morales been successful at curbing government corruption?
  • Does fact-checking President Trump actually matter?
  • What consequences should congressman Steve King face for his racist comments?
  • Will President Trump declare a national emergency to fund his border wall?
  • Is President Trump’s lack of engagement in the Middle East creating more chaos and violence in the region?
  • Has the United States become an unreliable ally to its international partners?
  • Does the Trump Administration’s relationship with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman undermine America’s influence in the Middle East?
  • How will frayed relations between the US and Turkey impact America’s role in the Middle East?
  • Can anything be done to solve the corruption in the Bosnian government?
  • Has the US become too dependent on Saudi Arabia for its foreign policy objectives in the Middle East?
  • Has the growth in the farming of GMO crops been a net positive for India?
  • Is President Trump undercutting America’s credibility with its international allies?
  • Was the government shutdown a political loss for President Trump?
  • Should Congress significantly increase federal funding for public schools?
  • What should the federal government do to stem the rise in student loan debt?
  • Will President Trump be forced into an in-person interview with the Mueller investigation?
  • How much will the effects of Brexit ripple onto the American economy?
  • Is the Republican Party seeing a generational device within its ranks over the issue of climate change?
  • Is the Mueller investigation nearing an end?
  • Is the field of Democratic candidates for President in 2020 being driven too far to the left?
  • Should Congress take up the issue of entitlement reform this session?
  • How much is Russia benefiting from the political chaos in the West?
  • Should Britain hold a second Brexit referendum?
  • Can anything be done to stop the freefall of the Venezuelan economy?
  • Is Libya slipping back into total chaos?
  • What long-term effects will the government shutdown have on the US economy?
  • Does American healthcare have a problem with systemic racism?
  • Is China poised to leapfrog Silicon Valley in leading global innovation?
  • Does Congress need to more tightly regulate big tech companies?
  • Will the government shutdown have a lingering effect on the US economy?
  • What steps can President Trump take to improve his trust with the American public?
  • Should there be a second summit between President Trump and Kim Jong-un?
  • Is it inevitable that North Korea will be internationally accepted as a nuclear power?
  • Should Japan develop the military capability to attack North Korea?
  • Can anything break through the political deadlock over Brexit in the UK parliament?
  • Will 2019 see a surge in teacher strikes across the country?
  • Will a second summit between Trump and Kim bring real progress towards North Korea’s denuclearization?
  • Will America’s withdrawal from Syria breathe new life into ISIS?
  • Is slowing economic growth good for China in the long run?
  • How much does income inequality play into global political unrest and the rise of nationalism?
  • Is Rudy Giuliani a liability for President Trump?
  • Is Israel headed towards armed conflict with Iran?
  • Has the trade tariff war been a political win for the White House?
  • Should the US do more to remove President Maduro from power in Venezuela?
  • Has student debt become a time-bomb on the US economy?
  • Should for-profit colleges and universities be more tightly regulated by the federal government?
  • Is Apple starting to lose its prestige in America’s tech industry?
  • What can big businesses do to deal with the threat from online data breaches?
  • Is an economic downturn on the horizon for America?
  • Is it time for America to adopt a cap-and-trade system for carbon emissions?
  • Will the conflict between China and Canada continue to escalate?
  • Is brick-and-mortar retail in America dying?
  • Should the federal government do more to ensure the cybersecurity of America’s critical infrastructure?
  • Will the Trump Administration stand firm in support for change in Venezuela?
  • Is America headed for another federal government shutdown on February 15’th?
  • Should Congress strengthen the Voting Rights Act ahead of the 2020 elections?
  • What would a no-deal Brexit mean for the EU?
  • What can be done to calm the rising tensions between China and Canada?
  • Is it too late for President Trump to build trust and cooperation with Democrats in Congress?
  • Would pardoning Roger Stone be politically fatal for President Trump?
  • Can the Trump Administration build a good working relationship with Mexico’s AMLO?
  • What issues will determine the winner in the large field of candidates for the Democratic nomination in 2020?
  • Have conditions in Zimbabwe improved at all under the leadership of Emmerson Mnangagwa?
  • How much will new elections reduce the political power of the military in Thailand?
  • Is the Trump Administration doing lasting damage to America’s international credibility?
  • What role will Pakistan play in determining the political future of Afghanistan?
  • Is it possible to sustain a peace deal between the Taliban and the Afghan government without a large US military presence?
  • Does Felix Tshisekedi have the political clout to make necessary political reforms for the DR Congo?
  • Will Joseph Kabila remain the real power in the Democratic Republic of the Congo?
  • Should the US make large reductions in its nuclear arsenal?
  • Should the US use military force to remove Maduro from power in Venezuela?
  • How much as the loss of territory reduced the threat posed by ISIS?
  • Will the transfer of power from President Kabila in the DR Congo avoid slipping into violence?
  • Has the government shutdown been a political win for congressional Democrats?
  • How long can Nicolas Maduro hold onto power in Venezuela?
  • Is backing Juan Guaido in Venezuela the right call for the Trump Administration?
  • Can the new generation of the Ghandi family create a real political challenge to India’s Prime Minister Modi?
  • What role should the US play in rebuilding post[war Syria?