NFHS EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKING TOPICS

January 2024

Domestic

Closed-Ended

1. Will the United States Supreme Court rule that Donald Trump is immune from prosecution for alleged crimes committed while in office?
2. In light of accusations that Donald Trump could assume dictatorial powers if elected, does America’s democracy have sufficient safeguards to prevent a dictatorship?
3. Can President Biden succeed in securing Congressional support for continued funding for Ukraine’s war effort against Russia?
4. Is Casey DeStantis an asset or liability to her husband’s presidential aspirations?
5. Will Hunter Biden’s latest indictments imperil his father’s reelection plans?
6. Will Speaker Mike Johnson’s handling of government spending bills cause the GOP’s far right to push him out of his job?
7. Will President Biden be forced to relent to GOP opposition and limit the number of migrants entering the United States?
8. Should the federal government place additional limitations on the importation of Chinese technology?
9. Will Liz Cheney enter the race for President in 2024?
10. Is Donald Trump’s absence from GOP primary debates helping or hurting his candidacy?
11. Should the Supreme Court uphold the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy settlement?
12. Will the House’s expulsion of George Santos ultimately help or hurt the Republican majority?
13. Can Americans expect the Federal Reserve to stop raising interest rates?

Open-Ended

1. How could university presidents, testifying in front of Congress about anti-semitic rhetoric on campus, have done a better job at delivering their message?
2. How will the case of Kate Cox impact state policies regarding medical exemptions to abortion bans?
3. With Donald Trump’s nomination for president by the GOP seeming all but certain, who is the most likely candidate to be his Vice President?
4. With the exception of Chris Christie, why are Republican contenders for the presidential nomination limiting their criticisms of Donald Trump?
5. What steps can government take to address the burden imposed on America’s poorest families by surging home rental rates?
6. What steps can California’s government take to stem its exploding budget deficit?
7. What steps can the federal government take to limit the flow of Fentanyl into the United States?
8. How will Kevin McCarthy’s decision to resign from Congress at the end of the year impact the GOP majority in the House of Representatives?
9. What steps must Robert F. Kennedy, Jr’s, campaign take in order to best position the 3rd party presidential candidate for success?
10. How damaging was former US Ambassador Manuel Rocha’s work as a spy for Cuba?
11. What steps can the State of Florida take to stop the exodus of college professors from their state?
12. What steps can union organizers take to combat Amazon’s resistance to employee unionization?

International

Closed-Ended

1. Will Javier Milei’s election to Argentina’s presidency help or hurt the nation’s business community?
2. Will threats posed to shipping by Houthi rebels in Yemen lead to military action by major world powers?
3. Did the COP28 summit produce any positive results in combating climate change?
4. Will recent incidents involving Chinese and Filipino ships near Scarborough Shoal lead to open conflict?
5. Why has the United States opposed UN calls for a ceasefire in Gaza?
6. Will Donald Trump’s candidacy for the US presidency destabilize the NATO alliance?
7. Will the EU’s AI Act reduce people’s fears about artificial intelligence threatening humanity?
8. Will the recent agreement signed by the leaders of Turkey and Greece lead to a sustained peace?
9. Will Armenia’s turn toward the West provoke Russia to take action against the country?
10. Is renewed war between Ethiopia and Eritrea inevitable?
11. Is Mahamat Idriss Déby’s continued rule of Chad in danger?
12. Will Venezuela annex Guyana?
13. Will Mexico succeed in its lawsuits against American gun manufacturers and dealers?

Open-Ended

1. How will accusations that Israel has used white phosphorous munitions in Gaza impact support from Western democracies?
2. What steps can China’s government do to stem deflation in its economy?
3. What can Egyptians expect from Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in his third term as President?
4. What steps can neighboring Arab states take to help Palestinian refugees displaced by Israel’s operations in Gaza?
5. What steps can Iraq take to prevent the conflict in Israel and Gaza from spreading to its territory?
6. What steps can the global community take to increase access to Sickle Cell therapies in Africa?
7. What impact will the continued war in Ukraine have on Putin’s efforts to get reelected to the Russian presidency?
8. How will Geert Wilders’s victory in Dutch elections impact the Netherlands’ relationship with the rest of Europe?
9. What steps must Rishi Sunak take to get control over a divided UK Conservative Party?
10. What steps can Sweden take to stem the surge in gang violence there?
11. How will the Indian government’s decision to revoke Kashmir's semi-autonomous state impact the stability of the disputed region?
12. How will the drought conditions in the Panama Canal zone impact global commerce?