A. Open Extemp Event Prompts
Round 1 9:30
Speaker 1
Speaker One
1. Are U.S. banks insulated enough from a 2008-like financial crisis?
2. Should there be presidential debates in 2024?
3. Does Tulsi Gabbard’s exit from the Democratic Party matter?
Speaker 2
Speaker Two
1. Can Congress do anything to reduce inflation?
2. Did Democrats rely too much on abortion rights as part of their midterm strategy?
3. How should the U.S. respond to North Korea’s recent missile launches?
Speaker 3
Speaker Three
1. How much control over education should remain local?
2. Did Republicans rely too much on inflation as part of their midterm strategy?
3. Does the U.S. need a more focused foreign policy?
Speaker 4
Speaker Four
1. Does the Democratic Party need better messaging on crime?
2. Is the U.S. making progress in the fight against teen vaping?
3. After the attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband what changes should be made to ensure greater security for members of Congress?
Speaker 5
Speaker Five
1. Are President Biden’s recent remarks about the world being on the cusp of nuclear “Armageddon” unhelpful?
2. How will OPEC+’s production cut affect the U.S. economy?
3. If Democrats prevailed in the midterm elections will it be because they won them or Republicans lost them?
Speaker 6
Speaker Six
1. Do sports leagues need to overhaul how they handle player concussions?
2. What would a “hard landing” for the U.S. economy in 2023 look like?
3. Will the public’s unfavorable perception of the Supreme Court increase after its next term?
Speaker 7
Speaker Seven
1. Should America’s drug laws have been decided on a state-by-state basis?
2. Is President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan constitutional?
3. Is the SEC’s climate-risk disclosure rule a bad idea?
Round 2 12:15
Speaker 1
Speaker One
1. Who won the Tigray War?
2. Should nations prohibit China from setting up “overseas police stations” in their borders?
3. Is Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter a blow for global democracy?
Speaker 2
Speaker Two
1. With regards to the climate change problem, has global diplomacy failed?
2. Is a strong dollar bad for the world economy?
3. Should the U.S. provide any support for Iranian protesters?
Speaker 3
Speaker Three
1. Will the coming global recession be worse than 2008?
2. Is Uganda’s Ebola outbreak under control?
3. Will Belarus join Russia’s invasion of Ukraine?
Speaker 4
Speaker Four
1. Do North Korea, Russia, and Iran constitute the new “Axis of Evil?”
2. What does the ascendance of Jordan Bardella mean for France’s National Rally?
3. Are climate protesters hurting their cause by targeting famous works of art?
Speaker 5
Speaker Five
1. What do the results of the Israeli election mean for the prospects of future peace negotiations with the Palestinians?
2. What is the biggest “megathreat” that the world is facing?
3. Should Israel reform its electoral system?
Speaker 6
Speaker Six
1. Was German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s trip to China a success?
2. Is Kenya making a mistake by joining the Democratic Republic of Congo’s fight against M23 rebels?
3. Will moves by European countries to become more energy independent hurt Turkey’s economic prospects?
Speaker 7
Speaker Seven
1. If Iran’s Islamic Republic were to collapse, how would it affect the geopolitical situation in the Middle East?
2. Could violence in Eastern Congo push the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda into war?
3. Will Macron get his pension overhaul through?
Finals 3:15
Speaker 1
Speaker One:
1. Will India become a green superpower?
2. If President Biden chooses to run for re-election in 2024, should he choose a different running mate?
3. Was candidate quality a factor in the midterm election results?
Speaker 2
Speaker Two:
1. Should the next British prime minister call for a general election?
2. Is the Supreme Court ready to throw out race-based college admissions?
3. Is there any running away from an unpopular president?
Speaker 3
Speaker Three:
1. What should Rishi Sunak’s governing priorities be?
2. Does Affirmative Action hurt Asian American Students?
3. How many more rate hikes can Americans expect from the Federal Reserve?
Speaker 4
Speaker Four:
1. Should Lula da Silva make safeguarding the Amazon his top policy priority?
2. Did not calling out the worst elements in the Republican party hurt them in the mid-term election?
3. Is “quiet quitting” having an affect on the U.S. economy?
Speaker 5
Speaker Five:
1. Is organized crime becoming an existential threat to South Africa?
2. Is the Fed right in trying to dampen demand?
3. Did the Democrats regain their political credibility on crime after the midterms?
Speaker 6
Speaker Six
1. Will the public’s unfavorable perception of the Supreme Court increase after its next term?
2. Is Mexico’s military becoming too powerful?
3. Did the midterm elections show that voters care about the threats to democracy?
Speaker 7
Speaker Seven:
1. Should the UN deploy forces to Haiti?
2. Are Latino voters really shifting right?
3. Should Colombia decriminalize coca-leaf production?