Extemp Questions 2018 March

• How much work needs to be done to clean up the South African government after the exit of Jacob Zuma? 
• Can Joseph Kabila be persuaded to peacefully step down in the DR Congo? 
• Should the EU have its own standing army? 
• Does the Eurozone need a single centralized finance committee? 
• Will shared security concerns bring the remaining EU nations closer together after Brexit? 
• Can Cyril Ramaphosa deliver on the hopes for a new South Africa? 
• What is the best outcome in Syria that American can realistically hope for? 
• Will student outcry bring Washington any closer to addressing gun violence? 
• Will Congress find a compromise DACA solution? 
• Will Cyril Ramaphosa’s ascension restore public trust in South Africa’s ANC party? 
• Should Bibi Netanyahu resign? 
• What can the international community do impose accountability on Vladimir Putin? 
• Are American prospects for an endgame strategy in Afghanistan dimming? 
• Should gun violence in America be treated as a public health issue? 
• Can peace talks find a way to end the violence in South Sudan? 
• What long-term goals can the US still hope to achieve in Syria? 
• Should the White House being doing more to combat the opioid epidemic? 
• Has the use of chemical weapons in Syria become normalized? 
• Can social media companies do more to police bot accounts? 
• Is the Trump family profiting from the Presidency? 
• Do ethics norms around the Office of the President need to be more strictly codified? 
• Is the Trump Administration acting with neglect in its dealings with Russia? 
• Is it time for Jared and Ivanka to leave the White House? 
• Will conflict over control of the waters of the Nile river lead to violence? 
• What actions can the international community take to end the violence in the DR Congo?
•  Should the US step up its military action in Syria? 
• Has the war grown apathetic with the war in Syria? 
• Is the Nigerian government incapable of effectively fighting the Boko Haram militants? 
• Can Rohingya refugees returning to Myanmar be adequately protected from further violence? 
• Is declining social mobility a serious risk for the long-term health of the US economy? 
• Will the US economy be able to meet the Trump Administrations growth targets? 
• Has the time come where a real gun control debate can happen in Congress? 
• What actions will the Trump Administration be able to take to prevent further school shootings? 
• Will Netanyahu continue to receive the support of the Israeli public? 
• What can the American labour movement do to restore its lost political clout? 
• Has Russia changed the battlefield for information warfare? 
• Can students end the NRA’s hold on the gun debate in America? 
• How much will a new cryptocurrency be able to help revitalize Venezuela’s economy? 
• Should the Trump White House be moving faster to impose new sanctions against Russia? 
• Will a new President be able to bring economic growth back to South Africa? 
• What more should the government of Brazil do to counteract violent drug gangs? 
• Has Facebook reached its peak? 
• Will Mitt Romney’s Senate run deepen the split within the Republican Party? 
• Can Turkish and American forces find a way to cooperate on the ground in Syria? 
• Is diplomacy still a viable option to find a solution for Eastern Ukraine? 
• What additional steps should be taken to curb animal poaching in Africa? 
• Has the gun debate become the main proxy for the culture war in America? 
• Will Trump imposing new tariffs achieve its objectives? 
• Is arming teachers a worthwhile idea? 
• How hard will President Trump push to put more guns in schools? 
• Does America need more than two major political parties? 
• Will the teacher strike in West Virginia expand to other states? 
• Can anything be done to stop the DR Congo from sliding further into chaos? 
• Has something meaningful changed in the politics around gun control? 
• What should be done to break open stagnating American wages? 
• Will the tax cuts come back to hurt the GOP in the 2018 elections? 
• Has the GOP tax cut started to help America’s middle class? 
• Can Jared Kushner still be an effective part of the Trump White House? 
• Can Russia be stopped from interfering in US elections? 
• Are high-level staffing issues making it more difficult for the Trump White House to govern effectively? 
• Can the international community stop the cooperation between North Korea and Syria? 
• Will elections push Italy further towards the nationalist right? 
• Cant he Five-Star movement end the gridlock in the Italian government? 
• Will Berlusconi make a comeback in Italian politics? 
• What will Congress do with the DREAMers? 
• Should federal law enforcement agencies treat white nationalist groups as terrorist organizations? 
• Is President Trump on track to win another term in office? 
• Should the UN do more to protect the Rohingya in Myanmar? 
• Will Theresa May be able to find a good Brexit plan? 
• Should President Trump be more concerned about the international response to steel and aluminum tariffs? 
• Does the US market face more volatility in the near term? 
• Is the Thai public ready to be rid of the military-run government? 
• Is there a realistic possibility of a political end to the war in Yemen? 
• Would giving the Taliban an official voice in Afghan politics help stabilize the nation? 
• Is the war in Syria nearing an end? 
• Is President Trump pushing America into a trade war? 
• Is ending President term limits good for China? 
• Does Africa face major problems over access to fresh water? 
• Would arming teachers make America’s schools safer? 
• Is the Iran nuclear deal still working? 
• Is Congress still an effective check on the President? 
• Has the Trump administration done lasting damage to the US State Department? 
• Is the white nationalist movement in America starting to lose steam? 
• Does moving the US embassy to Jerusalem increase the possibility of a successful Mideast peace process? 
• How much will President Trump’s new tariffs impact global trade? 
• Is there a staffing crisis in the Trump White House? 
• Is nuclear disarmament an achievable goal for North Korea? 
• Should the US increase its involvement in Yemen? 
• What will the end of Presidential term limits mean for China in the long term? 
• Is diversity in Hollywood improving? 
• Is China’s global role changing for the better? 
• Does President Trump have what it takes to cut a good deal with North Korea? 
• Will lack of expertise in the State Department adversely impact face-to-face talks with North Korea? 
• Does America have a coherent policy strategy for sub-Saharan Africa?
•  How long can South Africa stave off the “day zero” water crisis in Cape Town? 
• Is there any chance for a real political opposition against al-Sisi in Egypt? 
• Has the political will to pass gun control legislation begun to wane? 
• Is the US prepared for the consequences of retaliatory tariffs? 
• What effect will the removal of Rex Tillerson have on the chances for a deal with North Korea? 
• Will Congressional Republicans continue to back the Trump White House? 
• Should Betsy DeVos resign as the head of the Department of Education? 
• Is a blue wave coming in to Congress in the 2018 midterms? 
• Is the diplomatic row between Russia and the UK escalating? 
• Has the federal government fallen down on the job with the recovery of Puerto Rico? 
• Are the international sanctions against North Korea working? 
• Is Palestinian cooperation between Fatah and Hamas on the rocks? 
• Has the UK government reacted inadequately to the poisoning of Sergei Skripal? 
• Is democracy losing ground to authoritarianism around the globe? 
• Is China positioning itself to replace American global soft power? 
• Should the US push back more assertively against China’s expansion in the South China Sea? 
• What more should federal and state agencies do to adequately address the threat from wildfires in California? 
• What will lifting Presidential term limits mean for the long term economic growth of China? 
• Will face-to-face talks between Trump and Kim backfire? 
• Should the federal government more strictly regulate the cybersecurity of American businesses? 
• What can be done to combat the effects of “fake news” on American public discourse? 
• Will the US follow the UK on getting tough on china? 
• Does Brexit pose a real threat to the Good Friday Agreement? 
• Will the global economy continue its recovery and growth through 2018? 
• Should the Fed raise interest rates again? 
• What should western european nations be doing to counteract Vladimir Putin? 
• Has Rex Tillerson’s tenure at the State Department done lasting damage to America’s global influence? 
• Can Colombia's FARC successfully reinvent themselves as a legitimate political party? 
• Should the UK stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia? 
• How will Russia change under a fourth term for Vladimir Putin? 
• What can Putin do to reinvigorate the Russian economy? 
• Will President Trump fire Robert Mueller? 
• Is relaxing Dodd-Frank rules too big a risk for the US economy? 
• Is President Trump seeing success in breaking open America’s stagnating wages? 
• Are Trump administration sanctions against Russia too little too late? 
• Will new leadership at the State Department mean better coordination with the White House? 
• Have Kurdish dreams of independence been dashed for the foreseeable future? 
• How will the US react to Turkish escalation against the Kurds? 
• Is the chaos in the Trump White House getting better? 
• Is it time for Jared Kushner to leave the White House? 
• What can President Trump do to expand his political base? 
• Does the reelection of Vladimir Putin mean that confrontations with the West will escalate? 
• Should President Trump’s plan to combat the opioid epidemic focus more on treatment options? 
• Has the White House shown a commitment to finding a real solution to the opioid epidemic? 
• Is the Saudi Crown Prince moving too quickly on social reforms? 
• Should Facebook face sanctions for the misuse of personal data? 
• Is the ouster of Rex Tillerson good for the State Department? 
• Is China’s economic growth sustainable? 
• Is President Trump sparking a trade war with China? 
• Will President Trump pull out of the JCPOA nuclear deal with Iran? 
• Have Congressional Democrats abandoned the DACA recipients? 
• Has the energy behind the #NeverAgain movement begun to slacken? 
• Does volatility on Wall Street signal a coming economic storm? 
• Will President Trump continue to hold the support of Evangelical voters? 
• Is America’s critical infrastructure inadequately protected from cyber-attack? 
• Would American withdrawal from the JCPOA cause a new arms race in the Middle East? 
• Is America moving closer to preemptive military action against North Korea? 
• Has the Presidency of Donald Trump empowered the white nationalist movement in America? 
• How will the movement formed in the wake of the Parkland shooting shape the 2018 midterm elections? 
• Can Parkland students break the political influence of the NRA? 
• Is the GOP tax plan too heavily tilted to benefit the wealthy? 
• What will it take to get Congress to act on universal background checks? 
• Is the American economy flourishing under the Trump presidency? 
• Should the federal government more clearly define requirements for organic foods? 
• Is the unpredictability of the Trump Administration good for America in the long run? 
• What impact will the scandal around Cambridge Analytica have the US tech sector economy? 
• Can the UN stop the DR Congo from slipping further into chaos? 
• Has the relationship between Russia and the West reaching a turning point? 
• Should Turkey be offered membership into the EU? 
• What effect will President Trump’s tariffs have on the US economy in the near term? 
• Should the US Senate get rid of the filibuster? 
• Will the Russia probe and the Mueller investigation prove to be a voting issue in the 2018 midterms? 
• Is the Trump Administration properly staffed for a meeting with North Korea? 
• Will Costa Rica take steps towards legalizing same-sex marriage? 
• Does President Trump finally have a cabinet he can work with? 
• Should international community do more to curb the use of single-use plastics? 
• Should the US cut its support to Saudi Arabia over military action in Yemen? 
• Should the federal government form a central regulatory body for fertility centers? 
• Should the US actively intervene in Yemen? 
• Are international NGOs being overloaded by refugee crises around the world? 
• Do state and local governments need additional federal help on cybersecurity? 
• Should the Department of Justice do more to crack down on bad practices among state and local law enforcement? 
• Is China the key to a successful meeting between the US and North Korea? 
• Will new leadership mean a push for privatization of healthcare in the VA? 
• Will China weaken sanctions against North Korea ahead of the summit with the US? 
• Will US sanctions push global trade into a downward spiral? Should users abandon Facebook? 
• Does the re-election of al-Sisi push Egypt further away from Democracy? 
• Does Congress have the political willpower to find a compromise solution for DACA? 
• Is the UK moving too slowly on Article 50 planning? 
• Will Congress take steps to protect Robert Mueller’s investigation? 
• Does the expulsion of diplomats fundamentally change the relationship between russia and the West? 
• Is America headed towards a trade war with China? 
• Has the humanitarian crisis in Yemen become unmanageable? 
• Will labor strikes force the Macron government in France to back down from its proposed economic reforms? 
• Can Emmanuel Macron find a compromise with public sector workers? 
• Can the EU maintain its relationship with Turkey? 
• How much will Congressional action curb sex-trafficking in the US? 
• Should Congress do more to protect Americans online privacy? 
• Is the international community paying too little attention to the threat from drug-resistant diseases? 
• Should the US push to curb the non-medical use of antibiotics?
• Should gun violence be treated as a public health issue?