NFHS Extemporaneous Speaking Topics
January 2024

Domestic
Closed-Ended 

1. Will apparent public enthusiasm for the actions of Luigi Mangione result in more violent acts against corporate executives?
2. Should the United States government impose further restrictions on the private use of aerial drones?
3. Should more American schools move to a four-day week?
4. Does President Trump have sufficient control over Republican Senators that he can assure confirmation of all of his cabinet choices?
5. Can President Trump successfully influence the rate of inflation in grocery prices?
6. Will Donald Trump’s criticisms result in a lessening of the independence of the Federal Reserve Board?
7. Should the United States hold a new Constitutional Convention?
8. Should Congress vote to bring an end to Daylight Savings Time, as Donald Trump advocates?
9. Would the confirmation of RFK, Jr., as Secretary of Health and Human Services, result in a decrease in American vaccine use?
10. Should President Biden certify the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment before January 20th, as Senator Gillibrand has urged?
11. Was Donald Trump the right choice for Time’s “Person of the Year”?
12. Is the United States government logistically equipped to manage the mass deportations promised by Donald Trump?
13. Should Kamala Harris run for Governor of California?

Domestic
Open-Ended 

1. What steps can the health insurance industry take to increase consumer confidence in its services?
2. If confirmed, what changes would Pete Hegseth likely bring to the Pentagon?
3. What steps would Donald Trump need to take to end birthright citizenship in the United States?
4. If confirmed, how would Kash Patel’s leadership of the FBI change American law enforcement?
5. What steps should the federal government take to limit the use of 3D-printed “ghost guns”?
6. How will resignations in the Federal Aviation Administration’s leadership impact transportation safety in the short-term?
7. What impact will Kari Lake have as the new head of the “Voice of America”?
8. What steps should Amazon take to lessen the risk of injury to its workers?
9. What steps do US automakers need to take to improve their position in the auto market?
10. What steps should US media outlets take to head-off threats of retaliation over negative political coverage of the incoming Trump administration?
11. How can the federal government calibrate planned tariffs to gain trade concessions from other nations?
12. How might the proposed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) best achieve the budget cuts its leaders propose?

International
Closed-Ended 

1. Are North Korean troops making an appreciable difference in Russia’s fight against Ukraine?
2. Should the United States extend diplomatic recognition to the new government in Syria, despite its prior ties to jihadist groups?
3. Is Israel’s plan to expand settlement of Israelis in the Golan Heights a wise strategic move?
4. Should the United States push for the creation of an independent Kurdish nation in northeast Syria?
5. Is China’s Qianfan (“SpaceSail”) satellite network a promising alternative to Elon Musk’s “Starlink” system?
6. Has disorder in the Chinese military weakened their ability to invade Taiwan anytime soon?
7. Will Calin Georgescu succeed in claiming Romania’s presidency in a “do over” election?
8. Should Ukraine be planning the construction of new nuclear reactors while war with Russia continues?
9. Can Britain’s Labor government keep its promises to improve the UK’s infrastructure?
10. Can Priyanaka Gandhi improve the electoral prospects of India’s Congress Party?
11. Will Indonesia’s new president, Prabowo Subianto, move his country into a closer relationship with China or the United States?
12. Can the world’s nations free themselves from the grip of coal as a fuel source?

International
Open-Ended

1. What steps can Ghana’s government take to lessen the negative environmental impacts of gold mining there?
2. How will the impeachment of South Korea’s president impact the alliance between the country and its western allies?
3. How will the election of Donald Trump impact Chinese business interests abroad?
4. How will protests in Georgia impact the pro-Russia government’s ability to lead?
5. What steps can French leaders take to prevent the collapse of the current government?
6. What impact will Ukraine’s use of longer-range western missile systems have on its war with Russia?
7. What steps must Olaf Scholz take to save his Chancellorship?
8. How will Binyamin Netanyahu’s continued legal difficulties impact his ability to stay in power?
9. With its losses in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, what must Iran’s government do to maintain its relevance in the Middle East?
10. How will proposed American tariffs on Mexican goods impact the Mexican economy?
11. What steps can Cuba take to address its unreliable energy infrastructure?
12. What steps can the Peruvian government take to better protect isolated indigenous tribes?
13. What steps can India’s government take to address increasing pollution in its urban areas?