November 2011 Practice Extemp Topics

Informative Speaking

1. What steps are being taken by the Food and Drug Administration to reduce prescription drug shortages?
2. Why are local school districts suing the State of Texas?
3. Earthquakes in Turkey: Why is this nation a hot spot for seismic activity?
4. Why is the #Occupy movement facing new confrontations with law enforcement?
5. Why have Egypt’s democratic reforms taken such a slow pace?
6. What is behind the recent media attention of the motorcycle gang, the Hells Angels?
7. What are the biggest obstacles Governor Perry must face in his presidential campaign?
8. How is Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi assisting the Obama administration in its attempts to implement its political agenda?
9. What steps can be taken by officials to reform the stagnant Greek economy?
10. What are the major criticisms of President Obama’s new tax plan?
11. What has contributed to the decrease in overall gang violence in the United States?
12. What laws were recently amended in the Texas Constitution?
13. What is President Obama’s record on environmental issues?
14. What indicators make Americans fear that a double-dip recession may occur?
15. Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi: What is bringing about his political death?
16. How will the new generation of weather and climate satellites change weather forecasting?
17. What recent breakthrough has been made in the search for alternative fuel?
18. Myanmar: What steps toward increased democracy has it taken?
19. How is the Internet improving the quality of education in the United States?
20. What factors did the Food and Drug Administration consider in its decision to approve the Berlin Heart?
21. MF Global: In what ways did the European debt crisis cause the bankruptcy of this American corporation?
22. How does Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 plan differ from Rick Perry’s flat tax economic plan?
23. How is Muammar Gaddafi’s death impacting the Middle East?
24. Why is legendary Penn State football coach Joe Paterno’s reputation tarnished?
25. What rights concessions did King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia recently grant to women?
26. What are the social implications of President Obama’s recent crackdown on illegal immigrants?
27. The Lord’s Resistance Army: What are the latest developments in Uganda?
28. As world population passes 7 billion, what actions can we take to ensure a sustainable future?
29. How is the Department of Education seeking to ease the burden of student loan debt?
30. How can newly elected Kyrgyzstan President Almazbek Atambayev unite his nation?
31. One hundred twenty-five years after the gift of the Statue of Liberty, what is current state of the United States’ relationship with France?
32. What are the details surrounding Greece’s decision to implement a new government?
33. What progress has Congress made toward passage of a jobs bill?
34. Zambia: What steps is this nation taking to build its struggling economy?
35.  What obstacles does Japan face in its post-tsunami rebuilding project?

Persuasive Speaking

1. Is Pakistan a reliable ally to the United States?
2. Can Herman Cain’s campaign recover from allegations of sexual harassment recently revealed against him?
3. Should the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act be repealed?
4. Will investing in the nation’s infrastructure give a boost to the sagging American economy?
5. Should gaming companies market video games based on real wars?
6. Will the termination of NATO’s campaign in Libya negatively impact the region?
7. Should the United Nations interfere with China’s currency policies?
8. Will the volume of electronic evidence collected by the authorities in criminal cases necessitate a transformation of the American justice system?
9. Is the Texas Enterprise Fund actually creating jobs in Texas?
10. Which Republican presidential candidate is in the best position to defeat President Obama?
11. In the face of a rising national debt crisis, should US aid to foreign nations be reduced?
12. Would the rejection of Palestine’s bid for membership in the United Nations encourage more violence in the region?
13. Is it time for the United States to sever its relationship with Pakistan?
14. Do the proposed changes to taxes constitute “class warfare?”
15. Is the United States a global leader in the search for alternative energy?
16. Will Vladimir Putin’s decision to run for the Russian presidency further erode democracy there?
17. Is Rick Perry still a top-tier presidential candidate?
18. Crosses on public property: Should the Supreme Court have heard the case?
19. Is China at the brink of having its own real estate bubble burst?
20. Will the bipartisan plea for drastic cuts in the federal deficit be successful?
21. Insider trading: Will the prosecution of former Goldman Sachs director Rajat Gupta curtail this disturbing practice?
22. Will Kenya’s involvement in Somalia increase stability there?
23. Should the federal government forgive student loans?
24. Is the euro doomed?
25. Is Iraq stable enough for American troops to come home?
26. Are wealthy Americans taxed appropriately?
27. Should doctors reduce the use of PSA tests?
28. Is US security threatened by the growing drug war in Mexico?
29. Are there any recent breakthroughs in the Israel/Palestine conflict?
30. In the wake of the Troy Davis case, has there been resurgence for the repeal of capital punishment?
31. With Iran close to nuclear capability, is the United States on the brink of another international conflict?
32. Conrad Murray:  Was his conviction for the death of Michael Jackson justified?
33. Should bilateral sanctions increase based on reports that Iran has been designing an atomic bomb?
34. Are states cracking down on voting requirements?
35. Terrorism in Nigeria: Is it containable?