2. March 2025 Extemp Topics

BY NFHS ON April 30, 2025 | EXTEMP TOPICS, RESOURCES, SPEECH_DEBATE

NFHS Extemporaneous Speaking Topics
March 2025

Domestic
Closed-Ended

  1. Will Eric Adams’ administration survive the intense scrutiny generated by the debate over the federal corruption charges he has faced?

  2. Will the possibility of Kamala Harris running for California governor deter other potential Democratic candidates from entering the race?

  3. Are cuts in staffing at the FDA making America’s food supply vulnerable?

  4. Will Steve Bannon’s anti-Musk message create a wedge between the President and the DOGE head?

  5. Has DOGE overreached by seeking access to personal Social Security, IRS, and Education department data?

  6. Are President Trump’s threatened tariffs meant for the long term or are they merely a negotiating tactic?

  7. Do recent crashes indicate that the FAA has an increasing airline safety problem?

  8. Would annexing Canada into the United States help or hurt the GOP in future elections?

  9. Can Congress make sufficient budget cuts to decrease American taxes?

  10. Will more states follow Utah’s lead and ban collective bargaining for public employees?

  11. Will President Trump’s attempts to expand executive power at the expense of Congress and the judiciary create a constitutional crisis?

  12. Are the reasons Americans purchase firearms changing?

  13. Did the State of New York overstep its requirement to test all patients exhibiting respiratory symptoms for COVID, influenza A and B, and Bird Flu?

Domestic
Open-Ended

  1. What impact will new restrictions on trans athletes’ participation in sports have on the health and wellbeing of these students?

  2. How will the numerous recent resignations of Justice Department prosecutors and officials impact the ability of the department to function?

  3. What steps must the Trump administration take to carry out the goal of reducing the costs of in vitro fertilization?

  4. What will be Howard Lutnick’s top priorities as the new Commerce Secretary?

  5. What will the programming of the Kennedy Center look like under its new Board?

  6. What must Congressional Democrats do if they wish to assert greater resistance to President Trump’s agenda?

  7. What will be the impact of the Education department’s mandate for schools and colleges to eliminate race-based programs?

  8. What must national Democratic Party leaders do to energize their supporters before the midterm elections?

  9. With accusations of poor healthcare and funding problems, what can Planned Parenthood do to improve the services it provides?

  10. What steps can the federal government take to further curtail the spread of Bird Flu?

  11. How will the confirmation of RFK, Jr., impact the availability of mental health care in the United States?

  12. How will the decision to cut funding for USAID impact American soft power around the world?

International
Closed-Ended

  1. Has the United States abandoned its European alliances?

  2. Should Ukraine give up the provinces occupied by Russia in exchange for an end to hostilities?

  3. Will President Trump’s proposal to remove Palestinians from the Gaza Strip ever be implemented?

  4. Will Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces succeed in their efforts to create a breakaway government?

  5. Should Latin American states refuse to cooperate with Trump administration deportation plans?

  6. Does Mexico have sufficient resources to improve security along their border with the United States?

  7. Should the European Union create its own standing army outside of NATO?

  8. Is the World Trade Organization in danger of collapse?

  9. Should Syria’s Kurdish militia disarm and integrate into the emerging national army?

  10. Should Egypt consider accepting the Trump administration’s proposal to relocate Gazans within their territory?

  11. Can China succeed in stimulating its economy’s private sector?

  12. With a decline in Hezbollah's influence, will Lebanon’s government succeed in extending its control over all its territory?

  13. Would President Zelensky prevail if Ukraine held elections today?

International
Open-Ended

  1. How will an apparent warming of relations between the United States and Russia impact the security of former Soviet states?

  2. What steps can South African leaders take to improve rocky relations with the United States?

  3. How will the loss of US financial support from USAID impact efforts to combat AIDS in Africa?

  4. How will threats from the United States government impact the Canadian Conservative Party’s strategy for regaining control of Parliament?

  5. What action should the Colombian government take in response to Venezuelan support of Colombian rebels?

  6. What steps can the world community take to prevent a global trade war?

  7. How does China benefit from the end of funds from USAID?

  8. What steps can be taken to lift the people of East Timor out of poverty?

  9. How will recent statements by US officials help the electoral prospects of Europe’s far-right political parties?

  10. What steps must Australia take to strengthen its defense independence?

  11. What steps must Russia take if it wishes to stabilize its economy?

  12. What steps can Narendra Modi take to increase growth in the Indian economy?