NFHS EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKING TOPICS

February 2024

Domestic

Closed-Ended

1. Will GOP efforts at holding an impeachment vote against President Biden succeed?
2. Will proposed restrictions on asylum seeking strengthen the hands of Mexican drug cartels?
3. Will the Democratic Party’s $35 million push to court minority voters pay off in November?
4. Is America’s support of private space enterprises paying off?
5. Should Lloyd Austin step down as Secretary of Defense?
6. Will Boeing be able to recover from its latest product crisis?
7. Is social media emboldening school shooters?
8. Should the United States allow nationwide importation of pharmaceuticals from Canada?
9. Will the release of names from the unsealed Epstein documents have any significant impact on American politicians?
10. Was it necessary for Claudine Gay to have resigned from the Harvard presidency?
11. Should plagiarism allegations be sufficient to cause professionals to lose their jobs?
12. Should the caucus system be eliminated from the presidential nomination process?
13. Will college educated voters favor Trump or Biden in November?

Open-Ended

1. What will the results of the Iowa GOP Caucuses have on the political future of Ron DeSantis?
2. At what point in the primary season will the GOP presidential candidate be definitively determined?
3. How will the new prank phenomenon known as “swatting” change the work of law enforcement?
4. What can the federal government do to help cities struggling with surges in migrants within their jurisdictions?
5. How can Nikki Haley best respond to Donald Trump’s charges that she’s not “tough enough” to be president?
6. What steps can federal leaders take to end the frequent need to extend government funding a few months at a time?
7. How will US attacks on Yemen impact President Biden’s election campaign?
8. How will John Kerry’s decision to step-down as US Climate Envoy impact America’s influence on global climate policy?
9. How likely is it for the Supreme Court to rule that states can exclude President Trump from the November ballot?
10. If the Supreme Court allows states to exclude Donald Trump from the November ballot, how many states can he afford to be excluded from before his candidacy becomes non-viable?
11. How will the outcome of Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial impact his presidential candidacy?
12. Should California adopt a ban on tackle football for children under age 12?

International

Closed-Ended

1. Will Lai Ching-te’s election to Taiwan’s presidency increase the probability of Chinese aggression?
2. Will Venezuela honor its agreement not to use force in its land dispute with Guyana?
3. Does China’s electric car industry pose a threat to Western auto manufacturers?
4. Does Europe have the capacity to meet its needs for arms?
5. Will Germany’s BSW Party succeed in cutting into the public support of far-right parties in the country?
6. Will Gabriel Attal’s appointment as France’s Prime Minister expand Emmanuel Macron’s popularity?
7. Is Russia aiming for victory or a protracted stalemate in Ukraine?
8. Does the British electorate currently favor the Labour Party?
9. Will the Israeli government avoid provoking open conflict with Lebanon?
10. Will Ethiopia’s deal with Somaliland for costal access prevent a regional war?
11. Will the Israeli Supreme Court’s decision to block the government’s judicial reforms be the end of the Netanyahu government’s efforts at reform?
12. Has Bangladesh become a one-party state?
13. Will the stabbing of Lee Jae-myung weaken the opposition party in South Korea?

Open-Ended

1. What steps can neighboring states take in response to atrocities in Sudan’s Darfur region?
2. What must Ecuador do to counter the growth of gang violence there?
3. What steps should India take to increase the survivability of increasing temperatures there?
4. What is the significance of North Korea’s decision to give up the goal of reunification with the South?
5. What further steps must China’s government take to eliminate graft in the PLA?
6. What must be done to eliminate the threat Yemen’s Houthis pose to Red Sea shipping?
7. What will be the outcome of South Africa’s case against Israel in the International Court of Justice?
8. After Israel finishes its operations in Gaza, who should govern the territory?
9. What steps can India take to make its justice system more equitable for women?
10. What steps can labor unions take to halt Javier Milei’s radical reforms?
11. What must Bernardo Arevalo do to fulfill his promises of better government for Guatemala?
12. Why is Cuba’s experiment in private business failing?