State Extemp Topics

Informative Speaking Prelims

1. How is AI transforming the future of manufacturing?

2. What issues are causing President Trump’s feud with Harvard University?

3. How will the near elimination of USAID impact efforts to prevent the next global pandemic?

4. What were the more noteworthy accomplishments of Pope Francis?

5. What factors are contributing to the popularity of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez among leading Democrats?

6. How has the state of Texas grown into a semiconductor hub?

7. What concerns does the FAA have regarding the Newark, New Jersey airport?

8. How will a decrease in Chinese-made goods in U.S. markets impact the lives of everyday American consumers?

9. What challenges will Pope Leo XIV face as leader of the Roman Catholic Church?

10. What are the latest developments in the Kilmar Ábrego García case?

11. How will the recent arrest of a Wisconsin judge discourage other members of the judiciary from taking stances contrary to the Trump administration?

12. What is custom gene-editing?

13. Why is Meta Platforms Corporation being accused of anti-trust violations?

14. What is causing the dispute between India and Pakistan?

15. What are the challenges associated with owning an electric vehicle?

16. What are the priorities of the Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin?

17. What are Israel’s plans for future Gaza military operations?

18. How will the emerging trade war between the United States and leading trading partners impact the American agricultural sector?

19. Who can play an effective role in mediating an end to the Russian / Ukraine conflict?

20. What steps can members of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) take to bring the civil war in Myanmar to a peaceful conclusion?

Informative Speaking Finals

1. What are the environmental impacts stemming from Artificial Intelligence?

2. The 2025 Munich Security Conference: What were the major takeaways?

3. Why has a presidential executive order targeted PBS and NPR?

4. Who is Robert Prevost?

5. Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office: What have those days been like?

6. Why are air traffic control issues at a crisis level in the U.S.?

7. How will withdrawing U.S. funding from PEPFAR affect people living with HIV?

8. Dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education: What impact could it have?

9. Why did long-time executive producer of “60 Minutes” resign recently?

10. How will India benefit from its United Kingdom trade deal?

11. Why has Warren Buffett been in the news recently?

12. What is the relationship between climate change and the frequency of major wildfires?

13. How is El Salvador benefiting from its relationship with the Trump administration?

14. Why have Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders joined forces?

15. How is Russia building influence in Africa?

16. Why has Texas Senate Bill 2 been so controversial even following its passage?

17. Where does the Supreme Court stand on President Trump’s attempt to restrict birthright citizenship?

18. What has the recent loss of multiple U.S. Navy fighter jets brought to light?

19. Why has Tesla become a target of attacks?

20. What are President Trump’s Middle East objectives?

Persuasive Speaking Prelims

1. With recent federal government funding cuts and mass layoffs, is a $45 million-dollar military parade justified?

2. Has political instability caused refugees to flee Libya in large numbers?

3. Does U.S. foreign policy lack consistency?

4. With the United States increasingly withdrawing itself from the international economic order, what nation is best positioned to set the tone for the order that takes its place?

5. Is a grassroots “resistance” movement appearing on the U.S. political landscape?

6. Should there be a mandatory retirement age for political officials?

7. Are Secretary Kennedy’s sweeping changes of the Health and Human Services causing harm?

8. Would a full-blown war between India and Pakistan devastate the Pakistani economy?

9. Will the passage of Texas Senate Bill 2 harm the state’s students?

10. Is the immigration system in the United States broken?

11. Does Kamala Harris continue to be a major voice of the Democratic Party?

12. Are standardized tests becoming a relic in today’s public secondary schools?

13. With increasing uncertainty over the United States’ role in the Pacific, should South Korea develop an independent nuclear capability?

14. Should U.S. air traffic control technology be upgraded?

15. Did President Trump fulfill his campaign promises in his first 100 days in office?

16. Has Qatar become a stabilizing force in the Middle East?

17. Should the federal government intervene in technology monopolies?

18. Is global action needed to mitigate an environmental crisis?

19. Are relations between the U.S. and Canada improved following Prime Minister Carney’s Oval Office meeting with President Trump?

20. Have U.S. military operations targeting Yemen achieved success?

Persuasive Speaking Finals

1. Should the U.S. Supreme Court be sovereign in the exposition of the law of the Constitution?

2. Who is the most influential person in the world today?

3. Is Karoline Leavitt an effective White House Press Secretary?

4. Will Pope Leo XIV’s leadership strengthen the Roman Catholic Church in South America?

5. Should Texas abolish property taxes?

6. Are China’s leaders convinced their country can win a trade war with the United States?

7. Are diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan escalating?

8. Is federal funding for NPR justified?

9. Will President Trump’s tariff policy on international films have an economic impact on Hollywood?

10. In regard to the origin of Covid-19, is the “lab leak” theory plausible?

11. Should the federal government have greater authority regarding public school curriculum development?

12. Is political conservatism on the decline in France?

13. Is the issue of President Trump accepting a multi-million dollar airplane from a foreign nation a conflict of interest?

14. Is economic development in Brazil’s Amazon region causing concern among environmentalists?

15. Will Harvard ultimately prevail in its legal battles with the Trump administration?

16. Can Saudi Arabia find common cause with Israel to contain Iran’s influence in the region?

17. NASA and the future: Should space exploration be privatized or government controlled?

18. Will the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s decision to negotiate with M23 bring about peace in the country?

19. Is the Philippines a strong U.S. ally?

20. Can any third party serve as an effective broker of an equitable peace between Russia and Ukraine?