NFHS EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKING TOPICS

April 2024

Domestic

Closed-Ended

1. Will Donald Trump’s continued discussion of January 6th in his campaign speeches help or hurt his presidential bid?

2. Should Donald Trump agree to debate President Biden during the general election season?

3. Do the candidates on Robert Kennedy, Jr’s short list for Vice President tarnish his image?

4. Does Mike Johnson have the coalition necessary for him to hold on to power through the end of this session?

5. Does the presidential primary and caucus system need to be reformed?

6. Has Joe Biden put the “Sleepy Joe” criticism to bed?

7. Is Joe Biden doing enough to elevate Kamala Harris’ profile?

8. Do recent legal victories signal that the charges against Donald Trump will not impede his reelection?

9. Are nervous predictions that America is on the brink of a civil war plausible?

10. Should universities with “test optional” admissions return to requiring the SAT or ACT?

11. Can President Biden’s proposed economic agenda save the middle class?

12. Can Americans expect a cut in interest rates any time soon?

13. Is the problem of “shrinkflation” overblown?

Open-Ended

1. How will recent Republican resignations from Congress change the balance of power in the House?

2. How would passage of Congressional Tik-Tok legislation impact the social media landscape?

3. How will the presence of 3rd Party candidates impact the outcome of the Trump-Biden contest?

4. How will Chuck Schumer’s statement calling for the end of Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership impact the Democratic Party’s support among Jewish voters?

5. How will President Biden’s performance at the State of the Union impact his presidential campaign?

6. How will changes in the rules governing real estate commissions change the ability of Americans to purchase homes?

7. What steps can America’s schools take to ensure the safety of transgender students?

8. With unemployment decreasing and the economy growing, why do Americans still believe we are in a bad economy?

9. What steps can the United States government take to boost domestic lithium production?

10. What does this year’s winter tell us about the impacts of climate change on the United States?

11. What must the United States do to increase the use of nuclear energy?

12. How will an IPO from Reddit change the face of the social media company?

International

Closed-Ended

1. Is Israel’s plan for relocating civilians to attack Rafah feasible?

2. Are efforts to get aid to Gaza via the sea sufficient to end the famine there?

3. Will efforts to form a unified government in Libya succeed?

4. Should the United States intervene to restore stability in Haiti?

5. Will the BJP secure victory in India’s upcoming elections?

6. Do annual military drills hosted by South Korea provoke or deter North Korea?

7. Were the recent parliamentary elections in Pakistan free and fair?

8. Is the threat that Russia may position a nuclear weapon in space real?

9. Is Ukraine’s military a real threat to bordering Russian territory?

10. Is it time for NATO to expel Hungary over the defiant behavior of Viktor Orban?

11. Should Israel expand conscription to its Ultra-Orthodox citizens?

12. Are the US and its allies doing enough to keep shipping in the Red Sea open?

13. Should the European Union consider membership for Armenia?

Open-Ended

1. What has the Ukraine war revealed about new Russian weapons capabilities?

2. How could the British royal family have better handled the controversy surrounding Katherine, Princess of Wales, and her absence from public view?

3. What steps can the international community take to improve humanitarian relief efforts in Sudan?

4. How is Russia’s growing influence in Africa impacting the continent?

5. What caused the collapse of civil order in Haiti?

6. How will India’s new ability to launch multiple warheads on a single ICBM impact its relationship with China?

7. How will Britain’s DragonFire laser weapon change modern warfare?

8. How will Sweden’s entry into NATO change the security situation in the Baltic region?

9. How will Geert Wilder’s decision to drop his bid for Netherlands Prime Minister change the government’s politics?

10. What would be required to get different Palestinian factions to unite under one government?

11. Given the prolonged stalemate, what would be required to bring an end to hostilities between Russia and Ukraine?

12. What could the United States do to drive a wedge between Russia and China’s cozier relationship?