State Extemp Topics

Informative Speaking Prelims

1. What is the significance of the U.S. government moving toward reclassifying marijuana?

2. What is Volt Typhoon and why should America be concerned?

3. What hope does optogenetics bring to people with congenital eye disease?

4. What are coaches saying about Name, Image, Likeness and its impact on college sports?

5. What is on the horizon for Artificial Intelligence?

6. What does President Biden need to bolster his re-election campaign?

7. With Olympic preparations underway, what challenges are French officials facing?

8. What obstacles have prevented Congress from addressing immigration reform?

9. How can free speech be protected while ensuring student safety on college campuses? 

10. Why is TikTok billionaire Jeff Yass supporting the school voucher fight in Texas?

11. Why do a majority of British voters now regret the vote in favor of Brexit?

12. What is the Antisemitism Awareness Act?

13. Why is Haiti’s future so uncertain?

14. What does Donald Trump need from a Vice-Presidential running mate?

15. Why does Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continue to draw criticism?

16. What impact could the SCOTUS decision concerning the homeless have? 

17. Why was Patrick Mahomes recognized by Time as one of the world’s most influential people?

18. How does student loan forgiveness impact the gap between America’s rich and poor?

19. What led to the extensive damage in the recent Texas Panhandle wildfires?

20. How has Mike Johnson’s Ukraine support affected his political future?

Informative Speaking Finals

1. Iran and Israel: What impact has their confrontation had on the region?

2. What steps can American port cities take to better ensure the safety of their bridges?

3. Why has Emmanuel Macron become such a strong opponent of Russia?

4. What action can be taken to create greater parity between the NBA and WNBA salaries?

5. What would be the consequences for Western Europe if Russia conquered Ukraine?

6. With reports now emerging on the Lahaina, Maui fires, what could have been done, in retrospect, to minimize the damage?

7. Why did the U.S. recently impose sanctions on China and Hong Kong?

8. Why is Starbucks attempting to limit National Labor Relations Board authority?

9. How are safety concerns affecting air travelers?

10. How can the federal government better protect consumers from identity theft?

11. How can Australia’s government better sell the AUKUS pact to its people?

12. Why was Texas congressman Henry Cuellar recently indicted?

13. What issues are Japan and France discussing regarding security in Europe?

14. Why have multiple states filed a Title IX lawsuit against the U.S. Education Department?

15. Why are Western African countries seeking favorable diplomatic ties with Russia?

16. What role does rare Earth magnet technology play in development of U.S. military weapons?

17. Why is TikTok suing the United States government?

18. What strategies can be employed to address personal mental health?

19. How does the United States rely on Qatar for Middle East military deployments?

20. Why was Al Jazeera banned in Israel?

Persuasive Speaking Prelims

1. Is Gaza becoming President Biden’s Vietnam?

2. Were Native American tribes justified in banning the South Dakota governor from their reservations?

3. Did the University of Texas and state officials make good decisions in addressing pro-Palestinian protesters on campus?

4. Does Ma Ying-jeou still have an important role to play in Taiwanese politics?

5. Is off-shore wind energy production threatening fragile U.S. coastal ecosystems?

6. Will Congo’s resumption of the death penalty be used to silence the government’s opposition?

7. What must Speaker Mike Johnson do to fend off opposition from the extreme right of the Republican Party?

8. Is U.S. diplomatic influence in Western Africa on the decline?

9. Are stress-related illnesses becoming more common among adolescents?

10. Is President Biden accurate when he blames Republicans for current immigration issues?

11. Are women’s rights facing threats in American today?

12. Can Pakistan’s new government successfully combat terrorism within their country?

13. Was the suspension of Uri Berliner by NPR justified?

14. Are current commitments to Israel affecting U.S. diplomatic engagements elsewhere?

15. Can the risks and rewards of AI be balanced?

16. Is Germany’s Free Democratic Party in danger of extinction?

17. Is the U.S. medical community effectively dealing with mental illness?

18. What steps must Egypt take to revive its sagging economy?

19. Is Haiti’s unrest likely to spread to the neighboring Dominican Republic?

20. Will Congress fix Social Security?

Persuasive Speaking Finals

1.   Has climate change had a major effect on Texas weather?

2.   Will the Paris Olympic Games test the leadership of Emmanuel Macron?

3.   Are American college campuses supporting too little or too much free speech?

4.   Is anti-Israeli sentiment spreading throughout the Middle East?

5.   Has Mayor London Breed fallen short in dealing with San Francisco’s homelessness issue?

6.   Has the international community’s response to the humanitarian crisis in Sudan been sufficient?

7.   Have legal federal elections become a legitimate concern?

8.   Are U.S. government regulations of TikTok necessary?

9.   Is progress being made in the aftermath of Baltimore’s Key Bridge collapse? 

10. Was Xi Jinping’s trip to Europe successful in setting up a new global order?

11. Has the U.S. Supreme Court gone beyond the proper role of the judiciary?

12. Will the endorsement of President Biden by prominent members of the Kennedy family blunt the momentum of Robert F. Kennedy’s third-party bid?

13. Have America’s secondary school students become too reliant on technology?

14. Can Haiti’s transitional government bring peace to the streets of their country?

15. Should the Biden administration take a more “hardline” approach with respect to China?

16. Are electric vehicles too expensive for middle-class American families?

17. Is the U.S. economy enjoying sustainable economic growth?

18. Should political candidates be allowed to self-fund their campaigns?

19. Will the rising tensions between China and the Philippines spill over into open conflict?

20. Should former U.S. presidents be granted immunity from criminal and civil charges after leaving office?