NFHS EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKING TOPICS

March 2024

Domestic

Closed-Ended

1. Will fines and judgments imposed by the courts on Donald Trump and his family spell the end of the Trump Organization?
2. Was it appropriate to hold Jennifer Crumbly responsible for her son’s actions in the Oxford, Michigan school shooting?
3. Will the House ethics probe against Matt Gaetz ever result in action against the Representative?
4. Will House Republicans be able to assemble sufficient evidence to successfully impeach President Biden?
5. Did Special Counsel Robert Hur’s statements about President Biden’s age cross an ethical line?
6. Will the US Senate convict Alejandro Mayorkas in the wake of the House Impeachment decision?
7. Should Americans be afraid of a spread of Alaskapox?
8. In the wake of his most recent hospitalization, should Lloyd Austin resign as Secretary of Defense?
9. Has most of the American electorate already decided how it will vote in November?
10. Are occasional memory slips by busy presidential candidates of any party enough to disqualify them?
11. Would cuts to the IRS budget have an impact on the federal budget deficit?
12. Should the US feel endangered by potential Russian anti-satellite technology?

Open-Ended

1. How will the scandal surrounding Fani Willis impact the Georgia prosecution of Donald Trump?
2. How will Texas’ Operation Lone Star impact federal efforts to control the flow of immigration at the southern border?
3. How will Joe Manchin’s decision not to mount an independent candidacy for president change the electoral math in November?
4. What steps must Democrats take to assume the high ground in the debate over immigration policy?
5. What does the election of Tom Suozzi in a New York Congressional election signal about Democratic chances in the fall?
6. What actions by the Federal Bureau of Prisons has led to the increased deaths of inmates?
7. What position is Donald Trump most likely to take on a federal abortion ban?
8. Who benefited most from the 2024 Super Bowl:  the NFL or Taylor Swift?
9. How will continued failure to approve aid to Ukraine impact America’s credibility with its overseas partners?
10. What steps can be taken to calm rising fears of antisemitism in the United States?
11. How will the Republican Party’s fortunes be impacted by the departure of Ronna McDaniel as RNC Chair?
12. What steps can the United States do to protect the children of migrant families from harm?
13. In the face of significant Trump momentum, why does Nikki Haley persist with her candidacy?

International

Closed-Ended

1. Does the death of Alexey Navalny signal the end of any significant opposition to Putin in Russia?
2. Should Australia adopt legislation enshrining a “right to disconnect”?
3. What steps should the leaders of Papua New Guinea take to address the causes of recent riots there?
4. Can Ricardo Martinelli win the Panamanian presidency while evading imprisonment in the Nicaraguan embassy?
5. Did former Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, have plans to retain the presidency through a coup?
6. Is Ecuador’s war on gangs infringing on basic civil liberties?
7. Has the UNRWA helped or hurt the well-being of Palestinians in Gaza?
8. Will the Economic Freedom Fighters’ message of nationalization resonate with South African voters?
9. Have Western nations lost their influence over Israel’s actions?
10. Considering escalating Israeli actions within its borders, will the Lebanese government be able to resist pressure for open war?
11. Would the reelection of Donald Trump result in the dissolution of the NATO alliance?
12. Do protests by Chinese workers pose a threat to Communist Party rule?
13. Will Prabowo Subianto’s presidency improve respect for democracy and the rule of law in Indonesia?

Open-Ended

1. What steps can be taken to resolve the ongoing territorial dispute between Guatemala and Belize?
2. What steps can be taken to curb the Dengue fever crisis emerging in Brazil?
3. How has the Mexican economy benefited by US reluctance to purchase Chinese goods?
4. What best explains the easy path to reelection for El Salvador’s president?
5. What steps can Houthis take to prevent a man-made famine from occurring in Yemen?
6. What are the strategic goals of Ukrainian intelligence units operating in Sudan?
7. What steps can South African opposition parties take to find common cause against the African National Congress?
8. What must Donald Tusk do to steer Poland on a more centrist course?
9. What must the European Union do to prevent Viktor Orban from blocking future initiatives to support Ukraine?
10. What steps must NATO take to overcome Hungarian opposition to Swedish membership?
11. What must China do to decrease its dependence on foreign chip technology?
12. What steps can Australia take to improve the lives of their Pacific Island neighbors?