NFHS EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKING TOPICS

December 2022

Domestic

Closed-Ended

1. Was the economy a decisive factor in the 2022 elections?

2. With the November 2022 elections completed, are Americans more confident in the United States electoral system?

3. Will the latest round of charges against Harvey Weinstein bring renewed attention to sexual misconduct in the entertainment industry?

4. Will Elon Musk’s leadership of Twitter exacerbate problems with truth telling in social media?

5. Is Ron DeSantis the new leader of the Republican Party?

6. Does the U.S. Secret Service provide sufficient protection to the spouses of congressional leaders?

7. Will the recent crash in cryptocurrency prices cause investors to rethink including these investments in their portfolios?

8. Can the Biden administration overcome judicial hurdles to its student loan forgiveness program?

9. Are white nationalists still a noticeable force in American politics?

10. Will other states follow the lead of Colorado and consider proposals to decriminalize psychedelic drugs?

11. Were Democratic voters strategically wise to support extremist Republicans in primaries to make the general election “easier” for Democrats?

12. Should the federal government enact a windfall tax on oil companies?

13. Is inflation benefiting America’s largest corporations?

Open-Ended

1. Who will shoulder the greatest responsibility for Republicans falling short of their goals in the midterm elections?

2. What must the Trump campaign do to overcome negative perceptions of the former President’s candidacy in the wake of the 2022 elections?

3. What does Elon Musk need to do to bring stability to the transition in leadership at Twitter?

4. What must Mike Pence do to increase his standing among potential challengers to Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination?

5. What must the Forward Party do if it wants to become a viable third-party alternative?

6. What steps can be taken to lessen the number of military veterans facing terms in prisons and jails?

7. How will the lack of success of recent anti-abortion referenda change the strategies of the pro-life movement?

8. What tax policies can the government adopt to promote electric vehicle adoption?

9. What steps can be taken to lessen the impact of globalization on America’s poorest workers?

10. What should American employers do to protect workers still concerned about the lingering threat posed by COVID-19?

11. How will Google’s privacy settlement with 40 states’ Attorneys General impact the company’s business?

12. What must the United States do to advance climate negotiations with China?

International

Closed-Ended

1. Will US sanctions imposed on firms aiding the production and transfer or Iranian drones to Russia have any impact on the supply?

2. Are Western nations applying a double-standard with respect to Germany’s expansion of coal-fired power, as Uganda’s president asserts?

3. After the Biden-Xi summit, can Taiwan rest a little easier about the threat of invasion?

4. Has the risk of the Russia-Ukraine conflict spilling into other countries increased?

5. Will the shadow of criminal charges weaken Benjamin Netanyahu as he retakes Israel’s premiership?

6. Can Lithium exports spur an economic resurgence in Argentina?

7. Will Francois Legault’s leadership of Quebec raise the renewed specter of Quebec separatism?

8. Will the assassination attempt on Imran Kahn increase his popularity in Pakistan?

9. What has prompted the sudden increase in North Korean missile tests?

10. Is Iran’s government at risk of collapse?

11. Will Hamas strengthen ties with the Syrian government?

12. Will Rishi Sunak’s leadership in Great Britain outlive that of his predecessor?

13. Should NATO provide Ukraine with missile systems capable of hitting Russian territory?

Open-Ended

1. What will Xi Jinping’s rising power mean for Asian regional security?

2. What must Russia do if it wants to make a comeback in its conflict with Ukraine?

3. What must Ukraine do if it hopes to sustain its gains against Russia on the battlefield?

4. What steps must Nicaragua’s opposition take to reverse the country’s change to a one-party state?

5. How will a Lula presidency change the direction of Brazil?

6. What must the UMNO party do to regain power in Malaysia?

7. What has been the impact of China’s anti-graft campaign on Xi Jinping’s power?

8. What should African nations do to help ensure Ethiopia’s peace agreement holds?

9. What must Somalia’s government do to further diminish the power of al-Shabab?

10. How can European demand for natural gas reshape the future of the Middle East?

11. What must Boris Johnson do to maintain political relevance in Great Britain?

12. What must European nations do to increase their energy independence?