Extemp Questions 2025 February

•  Is Trump driving America towards a new era of international isolationism?
• Will Trump’s new tariffs spark a global trade war?
• Will new tariffs by the Trump White House backfire on the American economy?
• Will the American public accept the short term economic costs of President Trump’s planned tariffs?
• Will President Trump's decision to end TPS programs cost Republicans the support Latino voters in the midterms?
• Will Congressional Republicans go along with the Trump Administration’s plans to end the Department of Education?
• Can Congolese forces push the M23 militia out of Goma?
• How much will rising trade tensions with the US drive down global economic growth?
• Has President Trump done long-term damage to America’s soft power abroad?
• Will President Trump’s trade actions do more harm than good for the American economy?
• Will M23 militia forces push further west into the DR Cnngo?
• Is the political firewall against Germany’s AFD party breaking apart?
• Does Elon Musk have too much control over the federal government?
• Is global AI development making a pivotal shift in China’s favor?
• Are extremist settlers in the West Bank being emboldened by the Trump White House?
• Is the Netanyahu government enabling settler violence in the West Bank?
• Does President Trump have an achievable legislative agenda?
• Will the American public be patient with the Trump White House over continuing high prices?
• What can the Democrats do to win back working class voters?
• Will President Trump’s economic policies cost him the support of working class voters?
• Can the Trump White House be trusted to enforce government ethics laws?
• Are deportations by the Trump Administration starting to show significant economic effects?
• Will right-wing populism continue to make gains in Europe’s upcoming elections?
• Will the Trump-Musk partnership last?
• How will Germany’s new leadership change national policy towards migrants?
• Will the ceasefire in Gaza continue to hold?
• Is phase two of the Gaza peace deal achievable?
• Is Netanyahu using Gaza as a distraction to annex the West Bank?
• What can Germany’s new leadership do to turn around the economy?
• Will Kash Patel leadership do lasting damage to the institution of the FBI?
• Is DOGE doing more harm than good?
• Has DOGE been successful at finding the waste, fraud and abuse it was supposed to root out?
• Will President Trump ease sanctions against Russia?
• Has the change in US policy towards Ukraine shifted the Russian public's view of the war?
• Can Zelenskyy provide more support to Ukraine?
• Can Europe still rely on the US as a security ally?
• Has Germany’s far-right been successful at normalizing their political views?
• Will Trump follow through on plans to move the Palestinians out of Gaza?
• Should Europe build its own military?
• Has Germany’s AFD party reached its political zenith?
• Can Bolsonaro still make a political comeback in Brazil?
•  Will the fighting in the DR Congo spill over into a larger regional conflict?
• Will the AFD continue to gain support across Germany?
• What can be done to reverse the breakdown in the relationship between Ukraine and the Trump White House?
• Can Europe ramp up defense production in time to save Ukraine?

Extemp Questions 2025 January

• Has Elon Musk stepped over the line in his criticism of UK government officials?
• Wili Trumpʻs proposed Department of Government Efficiency be successful?
• Do President Trump’s pardons of the January 6’th convicts legitimize the use of political violence?
• Will he sekona Trump teremana pūhā he boundaries of ethics and conflict of interest laws past the breaking point?
• Will Congressional Republicans go along with President Trump’s economic agenda?
• What legacy will Biden leave office with?
• What actions should Congress take to address America’s mental health crisis?
• Can Lebanon’s new President bring the country out of its downward spiral?
• What will Trudeau’s resignation mean for the Canada’s political future?
• Has Bukele’s security strategy been a success for El Salvador?
• Will the UK be forced into paying reparations to former slave colonies?
• Is the mainstream news ready for a second Trump presidency?
• Is Trump serious about buying Greenland?
• Will Trump follow through on his promise for tariffs?
• How soon will Syria be safe enough for refugees to return?
• Will the West support the transitional government in Syria?
• Can Syria’s new leadership be trusted to protect minorities?
• Has the war in Sudan reached a turning point?
• In progress being made in restoring stability to Haiti?
• Are North Korean troops an effective force against Ukraine?
• Can Maduro control enough of a political consensus to keep himself in power?
• Can Trump get a wider Middle East peace deal in his second term?
• How should the US engage with the Maduro government in Venezuela?
• Who will follow Trudeau as Canada’s Prime Minister?
• Is Congress doing enough to address the growing costs of natural disasters?
• Should America be doing more to ensure the future of arctic security?
• Will Mexico’s new President cooperate with Donald Trump’s plans for dealing with migration?
• Will Iran develop nuclear weapons in 2025?
• Will the Trump White House allow Israel to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities?
• Can anything be done to break through the political deadlock in South Korea?
• Will the Gaza ceasefire hold?
• Will the Trump Executiive Order on birthright citizenship withstand legal scrutiny?
• Will the Gaza deal collapse the Netanyahu government?
• What will Netanyahu’s trial mean for Gaza and the West Bank?
• Will the new influx of aid to Gaza be enough to stave off a large-scale humanitarian crisis?
• Who will govern Gaza?
• How good are the prospects for expanding the Gaza ceasefire into a lasting peace agreement?
• Can the international fast-fashion industry make real progress on sustainability?
• What impact will America’s withdrawal from the Paris Accords have in the short term?
• I What action should the new Congress take to address the growing problem of homelessness across America?
• Will the legalization of same-sex marriage in Thailand become a model for other Asian nations?
• Will fighting in the Congo grow into a larger regional war in central Africa?
• Has mainstream news learned how to adapt to the rapid changes of the attention economy?
• Are the Trump Administration’s deportation actions sustainable?
• Will President Trump’s demands over migration drive Laotian America countries closer to China?
• Does the political opposition to Lukashenko have any chance for success in Belarus?
• Can Congressional Democrats learn how to keep up with the pace of Trump's executive orders?
• What impact will the Trump Administration's pause on foreign aid have on global humanitarian aid efforts?
• Will Trump Administration plans to shrink the federal workforce have a disproportionate impact on minorities?

Extemp Questions 2025 December

• Should India have a permanent seat on the UN Security Council?
• Is the international threat posed by North Korea growing?
• Will the second Trump presidency do permanent damage to the institutional norms of the federal government?
• Will Robert Kennedy Jr. be confirmed by the Senate?
• Will Tulsi Gabbard make it through Senate confirmation?
• Can the global community come to a consensus on tackling plastic pollution?
• Can the Assad regime in Syria survive a renewed rebel offensive?
• Can France’s minority government survive a vote of no confidence?
• Can a politically divided France find a way to deal with its cooking fiscal problems?
• Has too much of the burden for solving climate change been placed onto developing nations?
• Is the US acting too late to counter China’s soft-power influence in sub-Saharan Africa?
• Will South Korea’s President be removed from office?
• What does the future hold for Syria in the short term?
• Can the rise in the value of Bitcoin be sustained?
• Will Russia be able to maintain its influence in Syria after the fall of the Assad regime?
• Is Syria entering a new period of prolonged political turmoil?
• Will the political instability in Japan embolden China?
• Will the fall of the Assad regime embolden Kurdish forces seeking an independent state?
• Will the end of the Assad regime see a change in European migration policy?
• Is a government shutdown in France inevitable?
• Will a second Trump presidency weaken US alliances in Europe?
• Will Trump be able to keep the Republican majority in line with his second term agenda?
• How much power can Russia still wield in the Middle East?
• Will the end of the Assad government mean a quick return for Syrian refugees?
• Is Georgia’s political crisis getting worse?
• Is Syria without Assad headed down the same path as Libya?
• Will early elections create a stable coalition government in Germany?
• Is the far right in Austria gaining more political legitimacy?
• Can Olaf Scholz keep Germany’s far-right out of power?
• Will Olaf Scholz win a second term?
• Will the incoming Congress push through major cuts to Medicaid?
• Can a unified government under Trump successfully push through entitlement reforms?
• Will Congress be able to avoid a government shutdown?
• Is Germany taking the right stance towards support for Ukraine?
• Will the incoming Trump administration take steps towards ending birthright citizenship?
• How long can Ukraine continue to hold territory in Kursk?
• What steps should the incoming Congress take to address the growing problem of homelessness?
• Are global markets being driven too much by the future promise of AI?
• Will Trump be able to bring Republican factions in the House into alignment with his legislative agenda?
• Will the Fed continue to lower interest rates in 2025?
• Is America’s housing market headed for another crash?
• Can China stabilize its real estate sector?
• Is there more the Chinese government should be doing to reduce youth unemployment?
• Will Biden finalize the Equal Right Amendment before he leaves office?
• Will the loss of Russian gas push Europe to provide more support to Ukraine?
• Does Pakistan’s ballistic missile development pose an emerging threat to the US?
• How long can Myanmar’s military junta hold onto power?

Extemp Questions 2024 November

• Will the EU be able to pick up the slack if America pulls its support for Ukraine?
• What will a second Trump term mean for global efforts to reduce carbon emissions?
• Will Trump pardon the January 6th convicts?
• Can the private sector deliver on solutions for addressing climate chnge?
• Will a second Trump term in office deliver on promises to drastically cut federal spending?
• Has the Biden Administration given Netanyahu a pass for humanitarian conditions in Gaza?
• Was the gender gap a decisive factor in the 2024 election?
• What does the 2024 election signal about the political influence of labor unions?
• What lessons should the Democrats learn from the 2024 elections?
• Will the Republican Party take away the right lessons from the 2024 elections?
• What does the Democratic Party go from here?
• Does 2024 signal a long-term political realignment towards the right?
• What will a second Trump term mean for America’s relationship with Europe?
• Will a second Trump presidency see major shirts in America’s foreign policy towards Asia?
• Can a new Prime Minister restore stability to Haiti?
• Will the Senate rubber stamp Trump’s cabinet picks?
• Will Elon Musk’s participation in Trump’s second term pose a legal conflict of interest?
• What can Democrats do to win back working class voters?
• Will 2024 mark a permanent shift in Latino voters support for the Republican Party?
• Can the incoming Administration broker a deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia?
• Will Trump withdraw the US from NATO?
• Will President-elect Trump follow through on his promises for new tariffs?
• Will a Republican-controlled Congress act as any kind of check on a second Trump presidency?
• Is Singapore’s no tolerance approach to drug use too harsh?
• Can Sri Lanka’s new leftist government deliver on promises of economic prosperity?
• Can Sri Lanka’s new government bring political corruption under control?
• Does the US need need stronger mechanisms to prevent and prosecute government corruption?
• Will the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon hold?
• Is there any future for Hong Kong’s democracy movement?
• Can climate financing for developing nations solve the climate crisis?
• Will the ceasefire in Lebanon reignite the fighting in Syria?
• Has the humanitarian crisis in Sudan become invisible to the international community?
• Will growing unrest in France bring down the minority government?
• Will Germany’s far-right continue to gain popular support?
• Should Japan significantly increase its defense spending?
• Should EU nations drastically increase their defense spending?
• Has irregular migration become an existential threat to the future of the EU?
• Is the Russian public’s support for the war in Ukraine starting to crack?
• Is the fighting in Myanmar near a tipping point for the military junta?
• Are growing maritime conflicts between the Philippines and China approaching a boiling point?
• Does Brazil’s President Lula face an uphill battle in his attempts to curb illegal deforestation?
• Is there more the international community should be doing to enforce sanctions against Russia?

Extemp Questions 2024 Oct

• Will the politIcization of FEMA slow federal aid and emergency response in the future?
• Should the environmental costs of AI be regulated?
• Has Iran's axis of resistance been a failure?
• Should there be an international moratorium on deep sea mining?
• What more can the international community do to prevent the use of child soldiers?
• Will Sudan's neighbors be drawn into the war?
• What can be done to reduce the carbon emissions related to international shipping?
• Is America's ability to influence Israel's actions overstated?
• How should the world engage with the Afghan Taliban?
• Is time running out for Ukraine?
• Is Netanyahu trying to shift the balance of power in the Middle East?
• Does Israel have a plan to get to a day after the war?
• What would a second Trump term mean for the ongoing conflict in the Middle East?
• Should Congress act on national regulation of AI?
• What will Sinwar‘s death mean for the future of Gaza?
• Can new leadership turn Boeing around?
• Will personality matter more than policy in this election cycle?
• Will the youth vote be energized to turn out in this election?
• Can ASEAN work out a plan to address the crisis in Myanmar?
• What should the Biden White House do to de-escalate the conflict in the Middle East?
• Should western economics be more concerned with the rise in the price of gold?
• Will the BRICS+ nations save the Russian economy from western sanctions?
• Is western support for Israel ebbing?
• Is international support for Ukraine slipping?
• What does victory in Lebanon look like for Israel?
• Will Israel be forced into long-term occupation of southern Lebanon?
• Will corruption charges forestall Marine Le Pen’s political future in France?
• Will snap elections give Japan’s LDP an opportunity for a reset?
• What will Moldova's vote mean for its long term EU prospects?
• Will Gen Z voters turn out in 2024?
• What more should Indian authorities be doing to prevent niolent crimes against women?
• Should the US reduce military aid to Israel?
• Should the US cut aid to Lebanon?
• What will the presence of North Korean troops mean for fighting in Ukraine?
• Will the Labour government’s new tax plans slow the UK’s economic growth?
• Does the UK’s Labour government need a new strategy for dealing with irregular migration?
• Has Netanyahu abandoned the Gaza hostages?
• Can diplomacy bring the Middle East back from the brink?
• Is a political solution for the Palestinians still possible?
• Is a larger war in Lebanon inevitable?
• Can BRICS+ nations displace the dollar’s dominance in global markets?
• Will Elon Musk face legal consequences for his PAC’s elections giveaway?
• Is Elon Musk’s brand permanently tied to Donald Trump?
• Can anything be done to bridge the growing rift between Canada and India?
• What comes next for the political opposition in Georgia?
• What can Japan’s LDP do to win back the public’s trust?
• How will election losses reshape Japan’s LDP going forward?
• What more can be done to prevent Russia from interfering in European elections?
• Will new tariffs on electric vehicles spark a trade war between China and the EU?
• Should the US take a more active role in fighting Mexico’s drug cartels?
• Should the US military presence in Ecuador be expanded to fight the drug gangs?
• Has the hybrid work environment become a permanent part of America’s economy?
• Is Europe moving too slowly in adapting to the effects of climate change?
• Does the Rajapaksa family still have a political future in Sri Lanka?
• Will the international community be able to hold to their pledges on reducing the loss of biodiversity?

Extemp 2024 Sept.

• What can be done to reconcile partisan polarization in American politics?
• Will Republicans maintain control of the House in November?
• Has America become desensitized to school shootings?
• What key issues will drive voter turnout in November?
• Has Eastern Germany been left behind by the German government?
• Are tariffs still an effective tool to manage trade with China?
• Will Trump’s inconsistency on the abortion issue turn away Evangelical voters in November?
• Will renewed college protests over Gaza find any success?
• Have the Democrats done enough to win over voters who had soured on President Biden?
• Is there more the US should do to prevent Israeli settler violence in the West Bank?
• Will the Presidential race drive down-ticket voting in November?
• Will new state-level election rules jeopardize the public's trust in the 2024 election?
• What should be done to reverse the high turnover of states’ election workers?
• Will state-level ballot measures over abortion access drive up Democratic turnout in key battlegrounds of 2024?
• Has Israel begun to lose the support of its international allies?
• Will judicial reforms in Mexico solve for any of the rampant government corruption?
• What should Mexico expect from a new President?
• Will China continue to grow its direct foreign investment in Africa?
• Can anything be done to better control migrant crossing in the English channel?
• What more should Congress do to address the mental health crisis across America?
• Will the people of Haiti have a real voice in the future of their government?
• Can France’s new Prime Minister avoid a vote of no confidence?
• Oes Africahave a problem with gender-based violence?
• Is Haiti’s provisional government making progress controlling gang violence?
• Should the Labour government make it easier for migrants to cross legally to the UK?
• Is there a cure for France’s political woes?
• Has leading France an impossible job?
• Can the international community get the spread of mpox under control in Africa?
• Will the ongoing conflict in the DRC make the regional spread of mpox impossible to control?
• Should the US be doing more to pressure the Maduro government over Venezuela’s contested election?
• What can the international community do to improve access to humanitarian relief in Sudan?
• Is Bibi Netanyahu putting his political concerns over the return of The Gaza hostages?
• Will the exile of Edmundo Gonzalez to Spain put an end to the political opposition in Venezuela?
• Can widespread famine be averted in Sudan?
• Do large protests in Israel mark a major shift in public opinion towards the Netanyahu government?
• Will China’s decision to stop international adoptions have long-term consequences for its global relationships?
• Is Xi taking the right steps to turn around China’s economy?
• Was it a mistake for Ukraine to launch an incursion across the Russian border?
• Will the Harris-Trump debate change the minds of any voters?
• Is the Fed moving too slowly in lowering interest rates?
• Do traditional conservatives still have a home within Trump’s Republican Party?
• Will Special Counsel Jack Smith be able to move forward with the cases against Donald Trump?
• Are social media companies doing too little to stop the online spread of child sexual abuse material?
• Should Germany change how it deals with irregular migration?
• Is America complicit in Israeli settler violence in the West Bank?
• Is climate change already an existential threat for Pacific Island nations?
• Is the Nigerian government making progress turning around the economy?
• Does Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Harris matter?
• Is this the right time for Africa to have permanent representation in the UN Security Council?
• Should the Biden White House lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of US-provided weapons?
• Will electing judges make corruption worse in Mexico?
• Does AMLO leave a positive legacy in Mexico?
• Is Lukasheko signaling that Belarus is ready to engage with the West?
• Does Putin have an endgame for Ukraine?
• Would a second Trump term see a major push towards privatization of primary and secondary education?
• Can Congress avoid a government shutdown?
• Will foreign interference play a major role in the November elections?
• Would long-range missile strikes in Russia be able to turn the tide of the war in Ukraine’s favor?
• Will attacks by Israel and Hezbollah escalate into a full-scale war?
• Will the Fed make further rate cuts this year?
• Does the passing of Alberto Fujimori offer a chance for political reconciliation in Peru?
• Will Mexico’s new President be able to make real progress in the fight against the powerful drug cartels?
• Can the Harris-Walz keep up its momentum into November?
• What should be done to reverse Argentina's economic woes?
• Is the risk of a wider war in the Middle East growing?
• What will the Fed’s rate cut mean for the 2024 elections?
• Is JD Vance an effective messenger for the Trump campaign?
• Is political discourse in America starting to get better?
• What can Congress do to curb the rising cost of child care?
• What can be done to curb the rising costs of higher education in America?
• Will strict controls on housing construction be enough to save the Chinese economy?
• What will snap elections mean for Japan’s political future?
• Is the US finally gaining ground against fentanyl on the streets?
• Can the US keep a larger war from breaking out across the Middle East?
• Will elections in Kashmir bring any real change?
• What should the Sri Lankan public expect from their new President?
• Will the courts uphold the TikTok ban?
• How much do celebrity endorsements matter in Presidential elections?
• Can Japan’s LDP successfully reinvent itself?
• Does Japan need to make changes to open up its immigration?
• Is the international community making progress in restoring security to Haiti?
• Will there be another Presidential debate before the election?

Extemp 2024 August

 Apologies, I thought this list was published last month but it was still in draft...and none of you bothered to tell me....

• Is Iran headed towards war with Israel?
• Will Congress take up any of President Biden’s proposed court reforms?
• Has the war in Gaza strengthened America’s relationship with Israel?
• Is Supreme Court reform politically feasible in the near term?
• Has the Fed waited too long to cut interest rates?
• Will the new French government be able to hold together despite political disagreements?
• What is an appropriate remedy for the monopoly decision against Google?
• Should the US limit the production of single-user plastics?
• What comes next for Bangladesh?
• Should student leaders be given a seat at the table in determining Bangladesh’s new government?
• Is the Labour government doing enough to handle violent riots sparking across the UK?
• What would a second Trump term mean for the US economy?
• Is direct air capture ready for widespread use in reducing global carbon emissions?
• Are rebel groups gaining the upper hand against the Myanmar’s military junta?
• Will US policy towards Israel be an important factor in the November election?
• Is Russia’s influence in the Sahel growing?
• Is the tactic of hostage diplomacy working for Vladimir Putin?
• Can Muhammad Yunus build a stable government in Bangladesh?
• Will Bangladesh’s new leadership be able to keep the public’s trust?
• How much will the VP picks matter in November?
• Will Ukrainian attacks across the border dampen the Russian public’s support for Putin’s war?
• Was the Paris Olympics a success for France?
• Will social media influencers actually influence young voters in November?
• Is a war between Israel and Hezbollah inevitable?
• What will the antitrust decision against Google mean for the future of big tech companies?
• What will the departure of Sheik Hasina mean for the long-term future of Bangladesh?
• Will Democrats be able to keep the Senate majority in November?
• Will the Biden administration’s rules for minimum standards at nursing homes survive legal challenges?
• Will Robert Kennedy Jr’s endorsement make a difference for Donald Trump?
• Can the Harris campaign maintain its political momentum?
• Can Donald Trump win over the independent voters he needs in November?
• Will the Modi government face political consequences for gender-based violence in India?
• Should the US apply more pressure on India over its human rights record?
• Are the world’s coastal cities prepared for the impacts of sea level rise?
• Will Burkina Faso fall to insurgent jihadi forces?
• Can the spread of polio in Gaza be successfully contained?
• Will Pakistan’s migrant deportants make the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan significantly worse?
• Is there anyone who can act as an honest broker between Sudan’s warring sides?
• Can anything be done to bring Sudan’s warring sides to the negotiating table?
• Will the Taliban government in Afghanistan be willing to make any compromises for more aid from the international community?
• Have we reached the final nail in the coffin for women’s rights in Afghanistan?
• Have the Democrats taken black voters for granted?
• Is the Trump campaign making significant inroads with minority voters?
• Will the Trump campaign’s waffling over the issue of abortion drive away suburban voters?
• Can Japan’s LDP change its ways?
• How can the Harris campaign make the best use of President Biden?
• Which campaign benefits more from RFK Jr.’s decision to drop out of the race?