Extemp Questions Feb 2013

Forgo to post these. Kinda easy to forget when I only do it once a month or every other month...

Feb. 2013

• How can the Obama Administration promote economic growth?
• Is Congress on the brink of gridlocking the federal government?
• Can Congress avoid sequestration?
• Can the Republican Party court immigrant voters?
• What can be done to make Washington less dysfunctional?
• Will economic concerns outshine gun control legislation for Congress’ attention?
• Should Congress pass immigration reform legislation that allows for a path to citizenship for those currently in America?
• Will the DREAM Act be signed into law?
• Should Congress change the broad executive military powers the President has in fighting the war on terrorism?
• Will growth in the Asian consumer markets become the driver of the global economy within the next decade?
• How much will China’s consumer spending grow this year?
• Will Europe continue to see high unemployment and growing debts?
• Does America face the real possibility of a government shutdown over disagreements between the White House and Congress?
• What can be done to grow African economies?
• Is Israel committed to creating a two-state solution with Palestine?
• Does North Korea’s continued development of it’s nuclear weapons program pose a serious risk to regional stability?
• Have European austerity measures worked?
• Is the influence of the Tea Party waning?
• What steps are necessary to end Israeli occupation of Palestine?
• Does the PLO provide effective leadership to the Palestinian people?
• Can Congress pass meaningful debt reduction this year?
• Does the sequester pose a significant risk for essential government services?
• Would letting the sequester move forward pose a threat to national security?
• Will a universal background check on firearms sales pass Congress this year?
• Have there been significant changes to the Republican Party’s beliefs since the last election?
• Will Congressional Republican’s bear the majority of the blame for the state of the US budget?
• What impact will the sequester have on national economic growth?
• Is Italy ungovernable?
• Will the issues of budget and sequestration derail the rest of Obama’s second term political agenda?
• What impacts will sequestration have on the US economy?
• Should President Obama done more to avoid the sequestration cuts?
• Will Republicans in Congress be more likely to compromise with President Obama on tax revenues?
• How long can the federal government continue to jump from one fiscal crisis to the next?
• What Medicare reforms can be implemented by Congress?
• What political impacts will the sequester cuts have for the Republican Party?
• What effect will Germany’s upcoming elections have on the European economy?
• How much will the Indian economy grow in 2013?

March 2013

• Would a balanced budget actually hurt the American economy?
• Can Congress agree on a budget plan this year?
• Does the NRA still have significant influence in Washington?
• Can an assault weapons ban pass Congress this year?
• Can the Republican Party reinvigorate membership by lowering it’s tone on social issues?
• Is there a significant generation gap in the Republican Party?
• What effects will a Supreme Court decision on same sex marriage have on the social landscape of the US?

Extemp Questions - Nov., Dec., Jan.

From Nov/Dec. 2012

• Can Obama’s second term bring bring cooperation with Republicans in Congress?
• Can the President and Congress find a workable compromise to avoid the fiscal cliff?
• Can the Republican Party maintain loyalty among it’s members on tax policies?
• Can the Democrats unify around a set of entitlement and spending cuts to compromise with Republicans in Congress?
• What is the near term outlook for the American economy?
• What effects would the American economy face if Congress can’t reach a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff?
• Is closing tax loopholes enough of a reform to get a compromise between Republicans and Democrats in Congress?
• What should President Obama’s priorities be for his second term?
• Is Egypt’s President Morsi an ally of the US or a problem for the US?
• Should the US be more engaged in the Middle East?
• Can President Obama convince Congress to pass effective gun control legislation?
• Should America put armed guard or police in public schools?
• Can the NRA be a part of the solution to the problems of American gun violence?
• Wll America fall off the fiscal cliff?
• How difficult will it be for Obama’s cabinet changes to be confirmed by Congress?
• Can the President and Congress reach a long term fiscal compromise?
• What is the economic outlook for America in 2013?
• Will President Obama win the political fight with Speaker Boehner over the budget?
• What should the Obama Administration’s priorities be for the second term?
• Should entitlement reforms be a high priority for Obama’s second term?
• Does the pro-gun lobby still have significant influence in Washington?
• Is comprehensive immigration reform a realistic goal for Obama’s second term?
• How bad of a shot are you that you need a thirty round clip to kill a deer or hunt a quail?
• Will Congress face a significant fight over rasng the debt ceiling?

Jan 2013

• Will Congressional Republicans hold the debt ceiling vote hostage for further spending cuts?
• Is President Obama dealing effectively with increases in American government spending and debt?
• Does America face another downgrade of it’s credit rating because of the debate over federal spending?
• Will the President’s second term agenda be held hostage by Congressional Republicans over the spending debate?
• What key reforms are necessary to bring Medicare to long term fiscal solvency?
• Is there a significant division within the Republican Party over how ot engage with the Obama Administration?
• Is the US dollar at risk of being demoted as the global reserve currency?
• What is the global economic outlook for 2013?
• What role will China play in international negotiations aimed at reducing global greenhouse gas emissions?
• What can the Obama Administration do to bridge the partisan divide in Congress?
• Should Congress re-enact Glass-Steagall?
• Will Sen. Chuck Hagel be confirmed as Secretary of Defense?
• Should cuts be made to the US defense budget to counter fiscal deficit concerns?
• Are universal background checks an integral part of the solution to gun violence?
• Will the single European currency survive in the long term?
• What does the LDP’s return to power in Japan mean for the Japanese economy in the near term?
• Can President Obama and Congress agree on a deal that solves America’s long term fiscal problems?
• Should NATO countries draw down their troop presence in Afghanistan ahead of schedule?
• is the long term political stability of Afghanistan secure?
• How can Greece successfully restructure its debt?
• Has the government of Sri Lanka been successful in reconciliation with the Tamil Tigers?
• Will Palestinian refugees be granted a right of return?
• Has the Bank of japan done enough to grow the Japanese economy?
• Should Britain leave the EU?
• Is maximizing shareholder value still a valid metric for successful businesses?

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?