Extemp Questions

From September/October 2012

• Is a jobless economy sufficient for America?
• Should The Fed continue quantitative easing policies?
• How can the Romney-Ryan campaign effectively communicate with American middle-class voters?
• Will the risk of sequestration be enough incentive for Congress to push through real deficit reforms?
• What can be done to bring the Shabab militia under control in Somalia?
• Can the ECB save the Euro?
• Should America be more actively involved in Syria’s civil war?
• Is the Arab Spring moving in the right direction?
• Is further regulation of large investment banks necessary?
• Is real political reform in Japan on the horizon?
• Should the UN take more action in Syria?
• Can diplomacy succeed in Syria?
• How far abroad will Syria’s unrest spread?
• Will fighting in Syria spark regional sectarian violence?
• What role will gay marriage play in the Presidential election?
• Will another round of quantitative easing by the Federal Reserve help America’s lingering unemployment?
• Can democracy thrive in Libya?
• Should Israel push to fully integrate the West Bank into the Israeli state?
• Is an ECB bailout of Spain’s economy necessary?
• Can anything be done to reduce corruption in Eastern Europe?
• What can be done to improve America’s approval rating in the international community?
• Will German opposition to large bailouts block financial reforms in the Euro Zone?
• Should America adopt a cap and trade program to reduce carbon emissions?
• Do the Presidential and Vice Presidential debates still have the ability to change voter’s minds?
• Will Romney’s 47% remark sink his campaign?
• Is significant entitlement reform a necessary part of resolving the US debt crisis?
• Does Iran’s continued development of nuclear weapons mark a failure of President Obama’s foreign policy?
• Will Israel take unilateral military action to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons?
• Should America take more proactive measures to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon?
• Should Congress cut foreign aid to Egypt?
• Is the Doha round of global trade talks dead?
• Has China’s membership in the WTO been good for the global economy?
• What actions should the UN take to make long term development efforts in Africa more successful?
• Should Social Security have a means test?
• What can be done to reduce anti-American sentiment in the Middle East?
• Can bi-partisan cooperation be restored in Congress?
• Do the Presidential debates still have the ability to influence crucial undecided voters?
• Have coalition forces been successful in training and preparing the Afghan armed forces?
• What does the future hold for Libya?
• Can Middle Eastern nations turn the chaos of the Arab Spring into lasting political reforms?
• Should the UN do more to assist Libya with improving it’s security?
• Should violence between NATO and Afghan security forces delay the withdrawal of NATO combat troops?
• Can the ECB’s purchase of sovereign debt stave off a break-up of the Euro?
• Have central banks’ continuation of quantitative easing programs put the global economy at greater risk?
• Can Egypt’s President Morsi curb anti-American sentiment in the region?
• Has the influence of labor unions on US national elections become irrelevant?
• Has the Occupy Wall Street accomplished anything substantive?
• Can the Congress party lead real economic reform in India?
• What does the future hold for nuclear power in Japan?
• Should economic sanctions against Myanmar be lifted?
• Will the strained relationship between China and Japan hard the global economy?
• Is real political reform in Russia possible?
• Should Britain leave the EU?
• Will the Obama Administration’s record on unemployment cost the President black voters?
• Does India face significant political upheaval in the near term?
• Will proposed Medicare changes cost the Romney-Ryan ticket elderly voters?
• Can India continue to build its middle class?
• Is military action necessary to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons?
• Should America loosen its immigration policies?
• Is the entrepreneurial spirit of the American economy waning?
• Can reforms to the LIBOR rate be made effective?
• Do changes to the LIBOR rate pose a significant risk to Britain's economic recovery?
• How can bipartisanship be restored in Congress?
• Should the United States negotiate directly with Iran to preven the development of nuclear weapons?

Extemp Questions July/Aug 2012

From July / August 2012

• Has Romney’s record at Bain turned from political asset to political liability?
• Does American unemployment still face significant risk from offshore outsourcing?
• How can drug related violence in Mexico be brought under control?
• Does the rise of social entrepreneurship indicate international aid organizations and NGOs are failing the world’s poor?
• Should the UN do more to aid African development projects?
• Can China continue to grow its economy while addressing enviornmental protections?
• What should be done to reform the British banking system?
• Has Congress done enough to correct the problem of banks that are too big to fail?
• Does the return to power of the PRI in Mexico signal a return to authoritarian power?
• What can President Enrique Pena Nieto do to modernize and grow the Mexican economy?
• Is new gun control legislation a possibility for Congress?
• Is a new financial crisis in Spain inevitable?
• Does manipulation of the LIBOR rate indicate that government oversight is incapable of effectively regulating large banks?
• Should Congress do more to reduce America’s foreign energy dependence?
• Should the LIBOR scandal provok further SEC investigations into US financial institutions?
• How can Romney’s campaign win over moderate voters while keepin the conservative base?
• Is the selection of Paul Ryan as a running mate a game-changing choice for Mitt Romney?
• Will the selection of Paul Ryan as running mate help Mitt Romney win over moderate voters?
• What real assets does Paul Ryan bring to the Romney campaign?
• Will Medicare reform be a significant issue for the Presidential campaign?
• Should Greece be forced to leave the Euro Zone?
• Should the Fed take additional steps to bolster economic growth?
• Will the state of Europe’s economy dampen US economic growth?
• Is the international community doing enough to combat global poverty?
• Should Germany push to break up the single European currenty?
• Should the ECB do more to stabilize Euro Zone economies?
• What does the future hold for the European Monetary Union?
• How much will a lagging European economy continue to hinder US economic recovery?
• Is a break-up of the Euro possible?
• Are economic sanctions against Iran strict enough?
• Do American gun control laws lack serious enforcement?
• What does the future hold for Medicare?
• Can Greece afford to stay a member of the Euro?
• Can the Euro be dismantled without catastropic economic effects?
• Will this election see a reversal of fortune for the Tea Party?
• Will the negative tone of the Presidential campaigns impede the winner’s ability to govern effectively?
• What impact do party conventions really have on the Presidential election?
• Is additional federal economic stimulus needed?
• How can Americans faith in government be restored?
• How significant a role will national energy policy play in the November elections?
• How can the Republican Party win over women voters?
• How can Mitt Romney connect with middle-class voters?
• Can Syria’s government continue to hold against rebel forces?
• Is the US housing market starting to show signs of recovery?
• Should the ECB impose specific conditional reforms before providing additional bailout funds?
• What impact will joining the WTO have on Russia’s economy?
• Are conditions improving in Somalia?
• What more should the international community do to promote private investment in developing nations’ infrastructure?
• Does a strained relationship between China and Japan pose a risk to long term economic growth in Asia?
• Should the German government establish a contingency plan for the possible break-up of the Euro?
• Can the Euro Zone crisis be resolved if Greece leaves the Euro?
• Is corruption in Pakistan unresolvable?
• Are drone attacks counter-productive to American strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan?
• Do radical Islamic forces in the Afghan-Pakistan borderlands still pose a significant risk to coalition forces?
• What can the US do to improve its popularity in the Muslim world?
• Should the Pakistani government do more to bring radical Islamists into the political process?
• Is real bi=partisanship in Congress a lost cause?

Extemp Questions May/June 2012

 

From May/June 2012

●        How can Romney win over women voters?

●        Does the US need to rethink its foreign policy strategy with regards to Russia?

●        Can Obama still effectively campaign on a message of hop and change?

●        Can Romney effectively convince the American voting public that he has a plan to revive the economy?

●        Has Wall Street learned from the mistakes of the financial meltdown?

●        Is further regulation of big banks necessary?

●        Is there enough accountability in the US financial system?

●        Is partisan politics slowing economic recovery in the US?

●        Should Social Security be means tested?

●        Can Romney use the issue of gay marriage to win over social conservatives in the general election?

●        Should Congress pass legislation banning same-sex marriage?

●        Should Dodd-Frank finance reform legislation be repealed?

●        What impact will the issue of same-sex marriage have on the 2012 Presidential election?

●        Have European austerity measures been successful?

●        Will negative campaigning dominate the Presidential election?

●        Should campaign finance reforms be passed to bock soft money donations?

●        Is the EPA overzealous in its enforcement of current environmental regulations?

●        What role should Congress play to reduce unemployment in the near term?

●        Has the Obama Administration lost its focus on economic recovery?

●        Should Germany do more to save the floundering European economy?

●        When will American elections see effective campaign finance reform?

●        Is the French government doing enough to curb unemployment?

●        Has Myanmar made real headway in political reforms?

●        Is Congress doing enough to reform immigration?

●        Can the Obama Administration make headway on comprehensive immigration reform before the election?

●        What role should America play in Syria?

●        What can Mitt Romney do to grow the support of Latino voters for the Republican Party?

●        Can the economy of Greece be brought back from the brink?

●        Can China’s economy fully modernize without sacrificing environmental protections?

●        What breakthroughs are necessary to get the Mid-East Peace process back on track?

●        Is the Chinese Yuan still significantly overvalued on global currency markets?

●        Have European fiscal austerity measures been successful?

●        Is the European Central Bank doing enough to encourage economic growth?

●        Is the US doing enough to prevent international nuclear weapons proliferation?

●        Should Israel take preemptive military action against Iran’s nuclear weapons program?

●        Is a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine still feasible?

●        Should Congress increase the US foreign aid budget?

●        Are American anti-terror efforts in Africa effective?

●        What can the international community do to curb rampant corruption in Afghanistan?

●        Are the current strategies for reconciliation in Afghanistan on track for success?

●        What should Romney look for in a running mate?

●        Is the federal government doing enough to enforce immigration policy?

●        Should America provide amnesty for undocumented alients currently in the US?

●        Is effective immigration reform in the US being roadblocked by partisan politics?

●        Should the ECB do more to support the Greek economy?

●        Does the Spanish government have the tools necessary to support it’s failing banks?

●        Will Greece drop out of the Euro?

●        Can the UN create a compromise that prevents Iran from developing nuclear weapons?

●        What influence will militant Islamist groups have on the new Egypttian government?

●        Should Congress regulate the pay of top bank executives?

●        Does the Facebook IPO signal a return of  a strong tech market?

●        Is the Chinese economy overly dependant on export markets?

●        What can be done to control global overfishing?

●        Is commercial space exploration ready for prime time?

●        Is China’s economic growth sustainable?

●        How can China increase consumer spending in domestic markets?

●        Can Spanish bank bailouts prevent a resurgence/escalation of the Euro crisis?

●        When will the US housing market fully recover?

●        Can Ireland be used as an example of successful austerity measures for the rest of Europe?

●        What effect would Greece’s default on debts have on the rest ofo the European economy?

●        Is American campaign finance reform a lost cause?

●        Is American economy recovery faltering?

●        Will Germany support economic bailouts to prevent a collapse of the Euro?

●        Can the ECB keep the Euro zone from disintegration?

●        Should the US federal government spend more on infrastructure projects?

●        Is repeal of Obama’s health care legislation  (alternative wording: the Affordable Care Act) realistic?

●        Can partisan politics be kept out of the judicial branch?

●        Are peacekeeping operations in Sudan failing?

●        Should the UN do more to support international peacekeeping efforts?

●        Should the UK join the Euro?

●        Could a new Mexican government bring real stability to the country?

●        Does the dissolution Egypt’s Parliament signal a new round of  political instability in the region?

●        How will States implement the Affordable Care Act?

●        What’s next for Obamacare?

●        Will the Affordable Care Act put America’s hospitals under greater financial strain?

●        Should America rethink it’s foreign policy with Egypt?

●        What can the international community do to curb political instability in Egypt?

●        Does the Arab Spring pose a significant risk to the security of Israel?

●         

James Duncan Davidson

Cleaning out old files from my flash drive today and I found this:

https://sites.google.com/site/helpreidquithisjob/Dear%20Speakers%20-%20James%20Duncan%20Davidson.pdf

It's an old PDF of a blog post from James Duncan Davidson to TED speakers. If you're in speech / forensics, read it. It probably applies to you too.

I'm sure there's a digital copy out there on the web rather than the PDF I have, but I couldn't find it with Google in two minutes and I'm lazy so I gave up.

Mercatus Center report on freedom in the 50 states

One of my friends from George Mason sent me a copy of this report from like 2009 and I remember reading it then and thinking it was pretty good, but then I set it aside and forget it. In random conversation recently I was reminded about it and wondered if it still being done. Turns out it is.

The Mercatus Center does this report on Freedom in the 50 sates. For people doing US / National Extemp, it makes an interesting take on many different topics.

Here's the link to the 2011

http://mercatus.org/freedom-50-states-2011

Extemp Questions (through April 2012

Sigh, I keep forgetting to post these. I keep them all in Google docs, you'd think I could update the blog list more often...

•Can the ECB stabilize the Euro Zone economies?
•What can be done to reduce the polarization between the Republican and Democratic Parties in American politics?
•Can a new Italian government restore market confidence in the Euro Zone?
•Should the UN impose new sanctions on Iran to block the development of a nuclear weapon?
•Should the ECB act as a lender of last resort for Euro countries’ national debt?
•How can the international community help Afghanistan build an effective government?
•how can the relationship between the Afghan government and the international community be normalized?
•What can be done to curb corruption in the Afghan government?
•Should India be invited to permanent membership of the UN Security Council?
•When should Turkey join the EU?
•Does the rise of Iranian influence in the Muslim world a serious threat to mid-east peace?
•How is the European debt crisis progressing?
•Can tax reform solve America’s deficit problems?
•Is the federal government doing enough to combat online piracy?
•Does rising militant Islam in Pakistan a significant long-term threat to US interests in the Middle East?
•What can be done to reduce America’s prison overcrowding?
•Can President Obama win re-election on economic issues?
•What role should the US play in Syria?
•How can the Mexican government successfully combat drug cartels?
•Is the federal government doing enough to prevent the violence of Mexican drug cartels from spreading across the border?
•Can / How can Romney win over independent voters in the 2012 general election?
•Will the Afghan government be able to maintain stability after US troops withdraw?
•Is America’s counter--insurgency strategy working in Afghanistan?
•Has the Republican Presidential primary weakened the party’s chances in the general election?
•Will unemployment be the key issue in the Presidential election?
•Is America’s energy policy adequate?
•Has the American public become comfortable being in a constant state of war?
•Can Romney win over centrist voters in the general election?
•Is Tamil reconciliation proceeding successfully in Sri Lanka?
•What does Putin’s re-election mean for the future of democracy in Russia?
•Will austerity measures create political upheaval across the EU?
•Are continuing rises in oil prices a significant risk to the global economy?
•Will protests over Putin’s re-election lead to any real electoral reforms in Russia?
•Should Romney select a strong conservaitve running mate to garner the support of the party base for the general election?
•Does Romney need a Tea Party running mate to beat Obama in the general election?
•What impact has the Fukushima disaster had on the future of global nuclear energy development?
•Should China grow its use of nuclear power?
•Are economic reforms in Cuba on the horizon?
•Should developing nations have greater influence in determining the leadership of the World Bank (or IMF)?
•Can Chile sustain its high rate of economic growth?
•Has the Obama Administration done enough to curb the rising costs of higher education?
•Who should Romney select as a running mater?