NFHS EXTEMPORANEOUS SPEAKING TOPICS

March 2022

Domestic

Closed-Ended

1. Is the value of Donald Trump’s endorsement declining?

2. Should the United States create a no-fly list for unruly airline passengers?

3. Are Americans ready to return to pre-pandemic levels of health precautions?

4. Which is worse for the US economy: rising inflation or an increase in interest rates?

5. A year after he left office, are predictions of Donald Trump’s imminent legal jeopardy overblown?

6. Should Alec Baldwin be held legally liable for the death of the cinematographer on the film “Rust”?

7. Are US coastal states prepared for anticipated rising sea levels later this century?

8. Will the settlement in the civil case by Sandy Hook families against Remington set a precedent for future cases against gun manufacturers?

9. Is the United States revealing too many of its intelligence secrets by publicizing its reports about Russian threats to Ukraine?

10. Will Joe Biden’s handling of the Ukraine crisis help or hurt him politically?

11. Is it premature for American schools to lift their mask mandates?

12. Can Beto O’Rourke pull off a Democratic upset in the Texas gubernatorial race?

13. Should liberal political activists turn more of their attention to local races?

Open-Ended

1. What steps can the Merchant Marine Academy take to combat sexual assault at sea?

2. What can the United States do to keep global oil prices from climbing?

3. Who is President Biden’s probable Supreme Court nominee?

4. What would be the best use of increased federal government funding for combatting COVID-19?

5. Why are experts predicting Democratic losses in the November elections?

6. How can western US states protect their water supplies in the face of a mega drought?

7. What can health care providers do to increase the faith of African Americans in the system?

8. Why is the US being so slow in admitting Afghan refugees?

9. What steps can Congress take to help address rising inflation?

10. What explains the divided Senate vote over Robert Califf’s confirmation as FDA chief?

11. What can the federal government do to make removal of lead pipes in the US water system a higher priority?

12. Are American intelligence agencies doing enough to prevent Russian cyberattacks against critical infrastructure?

International

Closed-Ended

1. Does Russia pose a threat to more former Soviet republics than just Ukraine?

2. Will Prince Andrew’s sexual assault settlement lead to a restoration of his place in the UK royal family?

3. Will Justin Trudeau’s use of emergency powers to disperse Canadian border protesters backfire on him politically?

4. Is Brazil’s President Bolsanaro moving closer to Vladimir Putin?

5. Are rebels from Tigray committing human rights abuses in Ethiopia?

6. Can Iraq overcome the political deadlock over its search for a President?

7. Can grass roots movements make headway against the regime in Sudan?

8. Is Nicaragua becoming a dictatorship?

9. Was China’s investment in hosting another Olympics worth it?

10. Can Emmanuel Macron take over the European leadership role once held by Angela Merkel?

11. Is Olaf Schultz failing Germany on the diplomatic stage?

12. Will the death of ISIS’s leader end the organization’s reign of terror?

13. Has the world community abandoned Syria’s Kurds?

Open-Ended

1. What non-military actions can Russia take to address its stated security concerns?

2. What is the significance of the visit of the Israeli Prime Minister to Bahrain?

3. What explains the sudden rise in coups in Africa?

4. What steps can the United States and Canada take to prevent future blockages in cross-border commercial traffic?

5. What can the world community do to bring greater stability to Libya?

6. What can the United States do to reassure Pacific island nations of its commitment to them?

7. What will be the political consequences of the extradition of the ex-president of Honduras to the United States?

8. What steps can be taken to lessen the political chaos unfolding in Nepal?

9. What is motivating the sudden increase in North Korean missile launches?

10. What will be the political consequences for Poland of the EU freezing aid?

11. What steps can European countries take to harden themselves against Russian cyberattack?

12. What can the world community do to improve conditions at camps set-up for families of ISIS combatants?