Extemp Questions 12 June 2008

• Are Americans’ First Amendment rights being adequately protected in the age of the PATRIOT Act?
• What does the long primary election season mean for Democratic Party unity?
• What mistakes did Hillary Clinton make in her primary election campaign?
• Is China improving human rights practices in preparation for the summer Olympics?
• Has enough been done to improve Afghanistan’s national infrastructure?
• Is improved infrastructure and better roads the key to Afghanistan’s future?
• Are China’s efforts in environmental protection having an impact?
• Can alternative energy sources be used to improve environmental quality and keep up with the rapid economic growth in China?
• Will the US dollar continue to slide against the Euro?
• Is the situation in Darfur being properly addressed by the international community?
• Do NGO’s have sufficient access to help the victims in Myanmar?
• What role should the African union play in Darfur?
• Does American discussion of withdrawal embolden Iraqi insurgents?
• Does media consolidation lead to a less informed public?
• Do American media sources cover enough international news?
• How can Democrats argue for withdrawal from Iraq without appearing soft on defense?
• Is American print news media falling by the wayside?
• Is media consolidation in the US damaging to the public?
• Should US troops oversees be subject to the jurisdiction of the international criminal court?
• Will Barak Obama and Hillary Clinton be able to unite the Democratic Party?
• Will history judge the Bush Administration in a better light than it is seen today?
• Can conservation efforts solve America’s energy woes?
• Will rising energy costs push the US into a long-term economic downturn?
• Will Africa be the world’s next development miracle?
• Can John McCain use his age as an asset in the Presidential election?
• Can American businesses better meet the bottom line by going green?
• Are VoIP telephone calls harming law enforcement efforts with wiretapping and criminal investigations?
• Can peaceful reunification of China and Taiwan be accomplished?
• Can John McCain unite both the social and conservatives in the Republican Party?
• Are the various movements within the Democratic Party too fractious to unite effectively?
• Can a Democratic majority in Congress agree on a plan to address the problem of health care reform in the US/

Extemp Questions 12 May 2008

• Should America adopt a system of proportional representation for congressional elections?
• Should the US adopt instant run-off voting for federal level elections?
• Are effective election reforms possible in the US?
• Should the US get rid of the electoral college for Presidential elections?
• Should national level elections be standardized and regulated by the federal government?
• How can the US overcome the different conflicts of interest in the process of running elections?
• Should the same sex marriage debate be left to the individual states to decide?
• How can the US become the global leader in environmental protection?
• Can a single-payer system work for the health care system in the US?
• Is enough being done to combat homelessness in the US?
• What reforms to mental health care would most benefit the US?
• What more should be done to combat global hunger?
• Can the development help eradicate Malaria across the globe?
• What metrics should be used to determine a timeline for US troop withdrawals from Iraq?
• Is the federal government doing enough to ensure America’s cyber-security?
• Will Russian President Dmitri Medvedev continue the path laid by Vladimir Putin?
• Can President Medvedev end the rampant corruption in the Russian government?
• Has life for Israeli Arabs improved over the past few years?
• Should the US be willing to accept a long-term troop presence in Iraq?
• Is the primary campaign season in the US too long?
• Have attack ads in the Democratic primaries helped John McCain in the general election?
• Is America ready for an African American President?
• What steps are necessary for the US to return to a balanced budget?
• Can Israel survive as a Jewish democracy?
• Is an independent Palestine in the best interest of Israel?
• When will the US housing market rebound?
• Can Congress pass effective campaign finance reform?
• How significant of a problem are performance enhancing drugs in professional sports?
• Should Intelligent Design be taught in America’s public schools?
• How can the US most effectively wage the War on Terror?
• Should education be a more prominent issue in the Democratic primaries?
• How well has General Patraeus been doing in Iraq?
• How should the role of the US in the Middle East change?
• Why have the Kyoto protocols been so ineffective at promoting environmental controls?
• Will the rest of the global economy fall under the US recession?
• Should federal government contributions to school funding be raised?
• Is online file sharing bad for musicians?
• Should the federal ban on stem cell research be lifted?
• What dos the future hold for Cuba?
• Is the black market trade of nuclear materials being combated effectively?
• Can Afghanistan effectively police the narcotics trade within its borders?
• Would Obama be a stronger candidate than Clinton in the fall elections?
• Can the stranglehold of special interests in Washington be broken?
• Does Hillary Clinton still have a viable path to the Democratic nomination?
• Is universal health care a viable solution to the problems in the American Health Care System?
• Will values voters be a necessary block of voters for the Presidential nominees to court?
• Can the US afford to enforce its immigration policies?
• Is youth violence on the rise in the US?
• Does US foreign policy do enough to address international human rights issues?
• How large of a part should energy efficiency play in resolving America’s energy independence?
• Is America’s high education staying competitive with the rest of the world?
• Will America’s economy right itself in the second half of 2008?
• Is the development of corn based ethanol hurting the US economy?
• Is Colin Powell a viable running mate for John McCain?
• Are free trade agreements good for the US economy?
• Will Kosovo’s declaration of independence recreate the regional instabilities of the 1990’s?
• Should the US increase the number of H1-B visas?
• Is state sponsored terrorism on the rise?
• What has been the impact of the Brown v. Board decision on American society?
• Is Barak Obama capable of running an effective national campaign against John McCain?
• How can the US become more energy efficient?

Policy Debate ('07-'08) - Paul Ewald on TED

One of those things that would have been interesting to have much earlier in the debate season, Paul Ewald talks about the domestication of germs. How it's possible in a relatively short time frame to manipulate the virulence of some diseases by manipulating the means in which it can be transmitted. For example, making Malaria less virulent and less resistant to anti-malarial drugs by mosquito proofing homes.

http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/259

Further information on evolutionary domestication of diseases (Malaria specifically):
http://memorias.ioc.fiocruz.br/935/24mvt.html - About the Tennessee Valley Authority mosquito-proofing houses around the 1930's and 40's when it build dams to provide hydroelectric power which caused Malaria outbreaks.

Randy Pausch - Last Lecture

In the same vein as the TED lectures that I've posted here, this is something you should watch. if you do oratory, get an understanding of how the message is portrayed. No I don't expect you to do push ups. Get an idea of what it is to motivate, to inspire, to persuade those you are talking to.

http://download.srv.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch/

Extemp Questions - Mar. 23 2008

• Can the Korea’s reunify?
• Will China use its trade surplus as an economic weapon?
• What impact will the looming retirement of the Boomer’s have on the US economy?
• Should the US default on its Social Ssecurity obligations?
• Should local school boards be removed in favor of national control of primary and seondary education?
• Does local control of education cause failing schools?
• Is No Child Left Behind failing?
• What can the US learn from Europe about secondary education?
• Will the tone of the primary season hurt the Democrats in the upcoming general election?
• Should Florida and Michigan be allowed a voice in the Democratic Party primaries?
• Is offshoring of jobs dangerous for the US tech industry?
• What will it take to make universal health care a reality for the US?
• Will there be new primaries for Michigan and Florida?
• Should we be prosecuting Eliot Spitzer or congratulating him for how hot that chick was?
• What is currently the biggest risk for the US economy?
• Does the failure of Bear Stearns signal fundamental problems with inventment banks?
• Is The Fed doing what it should to stabilize the economy?
• Can Ben Bernanke keep inflation in check?
• Are the US economic fundamentals still stable?
• Will US consumer spending continue to slow?
• Has the troop surge in Iraq been successful so far?
• Will the US economy rally by the November elections?
• Is US foreign policy towards the Middle East headed in the right direction?
• How should the US approach free trade with Latin American nations?
• Should private security contractors fall under the jurisdiction of military law?
• Does the hiring of private security contractors make the US military more efficient?
• Has Sarbanes-Oxley legislation improved corporate accounting in the US?
• Is e-voting technology ready for primetime?
• Should the US increase its diplomatic and political support of Israel?
• How significant is Chain’s space program?
• Will economic anxiety be the big issue for the November elections?
• What impact will Ralph Nader have on the Presidential election?
• Will John McCain’s age be seen as an asset or a liability for his campaign?
• Is a weak dollar good for American unemployment?
• Can multinational corporations revive the US economy?.
• How can the US reduce its trade deficit?
• How has globalization impacted the US economy?
• Has NAFTA harmed the US economy?
• Is intellectual property law reform necessary to protect the US entertainment industry?
• Will China continue to keep the value of the Yuan artificially low?
• Are US consumers headed for significant rise in inflation?
• Do hard times in the US housing market signal the shape of the rest of the economy?
• Will US unemployment rise?
• Can the federal government save Medicare?
• Is the federal government doing enough to protect America’s endangered species?
• Would ‘Net Neutrality’ be good for the US economy?

Extemp Questions 28 Feb. 2008

• Is the push for net neutrality good for American consumers?
• Is the quality of American higher education falling behind the global curve?
• Should the federal government be allowed to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies for prescription medications?
• Is US national seaport security being overlooked?
• What should the US do to lead the world in controlling carbon emissions?
• Can public funding improve the fairness of US elections?
• Will a “Passengers Bill of Rights” improve the quality of US air travel?
• Should the federal government impose stricter fuel efficiency standards on new automobiles?
• Is the Federal Reserve keeping interest rates too low?
• Has the prop surge in Iraq been successful thus far?
• Should the US put a deadline on troop withdrawal from Iraq?
• Should the US put a deadline on troop withdrawal from Afghanistan?
• Will the US continue to look to Pakistan as a regional ally in the global war on terror?
• What can African governments do to improve access to clean potable water?
• Will the resignation of Fidel Castro improve relations between Cuba and the US?
• What’s next for Cuba?
• Should the US end its embargo against Cuba?
• Has the music industry been irreparably harmed by the popularity of online music sources?
• Should Congress push for a balanced budget amendment?
• How can the federal government curb deficit spending?
• What steps should US companies take to curb the growing trade deficit with China?
• Should additional limits be placed on interim federal court appointments?
• Is additional gun control legislation necessary?
• Will Kosovo’s declaration it’s independence from Serbia reignite regional violence?
• Will the Beijing Olympics raise the question of Taiwanese independence?
• Should the US further reduce its nuclear arsenal?
• Should the US Air Force end its use of cluster munitions?
• Are primary election processes in the US unfair?
• Has Microsoft finally resolved its problems with the European Union?
• Has Bill Clinton been a liability to Hillary’s Presidential campaign?
• Will union endorsements carry significant weight in the general election?
• Can John McCain mend his relationship with the evangelical wing of the Republican Party?
• Is more regulation of financial institutions necessary?
• Should the number of US troops stationed in Korea be decreased?
• Is diplomacy still an effective part of American foreign policy?
• Should America move from income based taxes to consumption based taxes?
• Should individual states be empowered to set their own carbon emissions standards?
• Is a federal cap and trade program on carbon emissions a good idea?
• Should genetically modified food products be required to have special labeling?
• Is corn based ethanol a viable alternative ethanol source?
• Can animal cloning benefit American food producers?
• Should American airport security procedures be scaled back?
• Does the US health care system have too many doctors? 
• Will Ralph Nader's Presidential campaign sap necessary votes from the Democratic nominee?

Extemp Questions 28 Feb. 2008

• Is the push for net neutrality good for American consumers?
• Is the quality of American higher education falling behind the global curve?
• Should the federal government be allowed to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies for prescription medications?
• Is US national seaport security being overlooked?
• What should the US do to lead the world in controlling carbon emissions?
• Can public funding improve the fairness of US elections?
• Will a “Passengers Bill of Rights” improve the quality of US air travel?
• Should the federal government impose stricter fuel efficiency standards on new automobiles?
• Is the Federal Reserve keeping interest rates too low?
• Has the prop surge in Iraq been successful thus far?
• Should the US put a deadline on troop withdrawal from Iraq?
• Should the US put a deadline on troop withdrawal from Afghanistan?
• Will the US continue to look to Pakistan as a regional ally in the global war on terror?
• What can African governments do to improve access to clean potable water?
• Will the resignation of Fidel Castro improve relations between Cuba and the US?
• What’s next for Cuba?
• Should the US end its embargo against Cuba?
• Has the music industry been irreparably harmed by the popularity of online music sources?
• Should Congress push for a balanced budget amendment?
• How can the federal government curb deficit spending?
• What steps should US companies take to curb the growing trade deficit with China?
• Should additional limits be placed on interim federal court appointments?
• Is additional gun control legislation necessary?
• Will Kosovo’s declaration it’s independence from Serbia reignite regional violence?
• Will the Beijing Olympics raise the question of Taiwanese independence?
• Should the US further reduce its nuclear arsenal?
• Should the US Air Force end its use of cluster munitions?
• Are primary election processes in the US unfair?
• Has Microsoft finally resolved its problems with the European Union?
• Has Bill Clinton been a liability to Hillary’s Presidential campaign?
• Will union endorsements carry significant weight in the general election?
• Can John McCain mend his relationship with the evangelical wing of the Republican Party?
• Is more regulation of financial institutions necessary?
• Should the number of US troops stationed in Korea be decreased?
• Is diplomacy still an effective part of American foreign policy?
• Should America move from income based taxes to consumption based taxes?
• Should individual states be empowered to set their own carbon emissions standards?
• Is a federal cap and trade program on carbon emissions a good idea?
• Should genetically modified food products be required to have special labeling?
• Is corn based ethanol a viable alternative ethanol source?
• Can animal cloning benefit American food producers?
• Should American airport security procedures be scaled back?
• Does the US health care system have too many doctors?