NFHS EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKING TOPICS

September 2024

Domestic

Closed-Ended

1. Will Joe Biden’s campaigning for the Harris/Walz ticket be helpful or harmful to their campaign?

2. Has the good will Donald Trump earned after the attempt on his life evaporated?

3. Could a Harris administration succeed in its proposed plans to make housing more affordable?

4. Does Elon Musk have significant influence over public opinion about the presidential race?

5. Does the US Supreme Court have the grounds to uphold Florida’s anti-drag law?

6. Will Justice Barrett’s endorsement of a Supreme Court code of ethics increase the chances of making one?

7. Will President Biden’s proposed Supreme Court reforms ever gain passage?

8. Will the Special Counsel’s probe into President Biden’s handling of classified documents result in any charges?

9. Will redistricting challenges in the states change who controls Congress in January?

10. With the academic year starting once again, does the resignation of Columbia University’s president over handling of protests suggest more resignations to come?

11. Should the US military expand its fleet of unmanned drones?

12. With more bad news about past behavior, has RFK, Jr.’s campaign lost its steam?

13. Is the Republican Party isolationist?

Open-Ended

1. How might revelations about Tim Walz’s prior drunken driving arrest impact the Democratic presidential campaign?

2. Having not been chosen as the Democratic vice-presidential candidate, what does the future hold for Pete Buttigieg?

3. If implemented, what will be the impact of Kamala Harris’ proposed measures to control grocery prices?

4. How will GOP accusations about Tim Walz’s military service impact veterans’ choice in the upcoming election?

5. How would Kamala Harris’ proposed middle- and lower-income tax cuts impact the economy?

6. How will the balance of Congress in the 2024 elections be impacted by the candidates for president?

7. What will the Democratic Party’s progressive “Squad” look like after the 2024 elections?

8. Why do prices remain high despite a decrease in inflation?

9. What steps should the Coast Guard take to improve its handling of sexual assault claims within its ranks?

10. What steps can be taken to secure the release of more Americans held in Russian prisons?

11. What must the Harris campaign do to improve its chances for success in swing states?

12. How would the election of a former prosecutor to the presidency impact the toughness of a Harris administration’s crime policies?

International

Closed-Ended

1. Can Israel gain any more advantages on the battlefield by maintaining its presence in Gaza?

2. Should South Korea pursue the development of its own nuclear weapons?

3. Will Benjamin Netanyahu’s government ever agree to a ceasefire with Hamas?

4. Will Tanzania’s crackdown on opposition protests lead to widespread violence in the country?

5. Will legislative elections in Indian Kashmir strengthen Prime Minister Modi’s influence there?

6. Will Thailand’s new Prime Minister bring increased political stability to the country?

7. Will Ukraine’s new F-16s make a difference on the battlefield?

8. Can the Kenyan-led security mission in Haiti succeed?

9. Has the Mercosur trade bloc become irrelevant?

10. Do Russia and China pose a threat to the global internet?

11. Would Taiwan be able to maintain its defense against China if Donald Trump becomes the US president?

12. Can the World Health Organization prevent a widespread outbreak of Mpox?

Open-Ended

1. Why has Iran, despite swearing revenge on Israel for the assassination of Hamas’ leader, not retaliated?

2. What motivated Ukraine to invade Russia?

3. What must the UN do to achieve a successful relief effort for the famine-stricken people of Sudan?

4. What African nation should replace Niger as a key US security partner in the Sahel region?

5. What must Bangladesh’s government do to restore order after the departure of Sheikh Hasina?

6. Who is the probable successor to Kishida Fumio as leader of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party?

7. With Thailand the second Asian country to legalize same sex marriage, which is the next most probable Asian nation to follow?

8. What must the global marketplace do to free itself from dependence on Taiwanese microchips?

9. What steps must Germany take to fuel economic growth?

10. What should be the top legislative priority of Britain’s new government?

11. Why is Colombia’s president becoming increasingly unpopular?

12. What must NATO do to protect itself against a Trump presidency?

13. In the wake of rigged elections, what must opponents of the Maduro regime do to remove him from power in Venezuela?