Extemporaneous Informative & Persuasive Speaking Topics
Invitational A 2009
Effective Date: January 09 - 31
Informative Speaking Topics - Preliminaries
- What challenges are facing coastal cities in Texas as a result of hurricane Ike?
- NASA: What direction will space exploration take when the current space shuttle fleet is retired?
- In terms of U.S. foreign policy, what is the legacy of the Bush administration?
- Why is violence on the increase in the Gaza Strip?
- What are the major concerns facing Barack Obama as he prepares to lead the United States?
- Why does the leadership of South American nations appear to be moving to the political left?
- How are major U.S. universities addressing the problem of on-campus alcohol consumption?
- Spain: What are the objectives of the ETA separatist movement in this European nation?
- Unemployment: What trends are suggested by the latest government statistics?
- Why is consumer product safety becoming a growing concern for China's political leaders?
- What does the drop in gasoline prices mean for U.S. consumers?
- Wall Street: How have recent trends affected retirement plans for middle class Americans?
- Nancy Pelosi: What has she accomplished as Speaker of the House?
- The Middle East peace process: What has Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice accomplished?
- How is Felipe Calderon attempting to reduce drug-related crime in Mexico?
- Why is approval of the U.S. Congress on the decline?
- How is the United Nations responding to the cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe?
- How do Internet social networking websites affect the lives of American teenagers?
- What has India learned about its national security in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks?
- What steps is the federal government taking to improve the accountability of the nation's public schools?
Informative Speaking Topics - Finals
- How is Texas faring during the national economic crisis?
- NATO: How has involvement in the Afghanistan conflict affected this organization?
- In what ways are African nations benefitting from increased trade with China?
- Why is crime on the rise in major U.S. cities?
- Argentina: Why is President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner advocating government control of private pensions in her nation?
- What did Joseph Biden contribute to the presidential campaign of Barack Obama?
- In what ways has Chancellor Angela Merkel promoted political unity in Germany?
- How are major American cities dealing with the problem of homelessness?
- Why is the use of vouchers to promote school choice such a controversial issue in the United States?
- What can be done to make the government of Somalia a viable one?
- Iran: Why has friction surfaced between President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his nation's parliament?
- What issues will be key during the 2009 session of the Texas Legislature?
- What is the official state of relations between the United States and North Korea?
- In what ways is the United States seeking to improve its diplomatic relations with India?
- What is the nature of the legal problems facing Rod Blagojevich?
- What has President Alvaro Uribe accomplished in terms of dealing with rebel groups in Colombia?
- What are the purposes of stem cell research?
- What effect has the international economic crisis had on the stability of the euro?
- What is the current state of relations between China and Taiwan?
- Why is the popularity of the African National Congress in South Africa on the decline?
Persuasive Speaking Topics - Preliminaries
- Lebanon: Is the autonomy of this nation threatened by violence in neighboring countries?
- Has FEMA effectively addressed problems caused by hurricane Ike in Texas?
- Will Sarah Palin be a front-runner for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination?
- Should Russia's growing involvement with Venezuela be a source of concern to the United States?
- Is Barack Obama likely to move toward the political center as president of the United States?
- Global climate change: Is the international environment at risk?
- Are American voters influenced by social issues when making choices at the polls?
- Should restrictions on stem-cell research be lifted in the United States?
- Are rising drop-out rates in major American cities contributing to increased violent crime?
- Does Kenya have a major stabilizing effect on Eastern Africa?
- Immigration: How likely is successful reform in 2009?
- Will Barack Obama's economic team receive Congressional cooperation for recovery efforts?
- Will Hillary Clinton achieve success as Secretary of State?
- Should the United States seek improved relations with Cuba?
- Is the government of Colombia adequately addressing the issue of illegal drug trafficking?
- Will increased development of the Amazon basin in Brazil result in substantial environmental damage?
- Italy: Is the credibility of this nation's leadership undermined by the presence of corruption in the country?
- Does Vladimir Putin remain in control of the Russian political system?
- China: Is this nation seriously attempting to improve its human rights record?
- Is the restoration of democracy in Thailand likely?
Persuasive Speaking Topics - Finals
- Is the Republican Party losing its strength in the Texas political system?
- Does the International Monetary Fund play a meaningful role in assisting developing nations?
- California: Is Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger successfully dealing with his state's current budget crisis?
- Can the growing threat of Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean be checked?
- Are major changes in store for U.S. policy in Iraq under the leadership of Barack Obama?
- Do the latest elections results in Chile suggest that the nation is moving in a more politically conservative direction?
- Is Texas Governor Rick Perry on the verge of becoming a national political figure?
- Does the passage of Proposition 8 in California signal a cultural shift in the state?
- Will Barak Obama's presidency impact race relations in America?
- Are rising tuition costs keeping academically qualified students from attending college?
- Will the federal government's plan to help the ailing auto industry succeed?
- Do the violent protests in Greece suggest that problems lie ahead for the current slate of political leaders?
- Should the United States increase the amount of food aid it currently provides to African nations?
- Are relations between the United States and Pakistan likely to improve in the near future?
- Can the United States finance health care reform in the face of a weak economy?
- Will the Obama "Green Team" take major steps toward addressing the issue of global climate change?
- Is the U.S. federal government justified in providing financial assistance to private corporations?
- Should the government of Sri Lanka take steps to eliminate the influence of the Tamil Tiger rebel group?
- Russia: Are leaders in this nation taking steps toward another Cold War?
- Should the federal government increase public works projects to jump-start the economy?