This week’s format will be slightly different: we chose to compile and release the questions written by Shreya Joshi and James (Jimmy) Gao for competitors at the Duke Invitational which occurred this past weekend. Thus, questions will be organized by round topic, rather than by USX and IX.
This week, we will be releasing the questions used in rounds 1, 2, and 3. Next week, we will release questions written for round 4, semifinals, and finals. Happy practicing!
US Econ (Round 1)
- Is the stock market overly dependent on the development of a COVID-19 vaccine?
- When should Congress start worrying about the national debt again?
- Was the CDC’s eviction moratorium enough to avoid the worst economic effects of the COVID-19 housing crisis?
- Would postal banking help resolve the US Postal Service’s crisis?
- Has the federal government done enough to ensure that a potential vaccine distribution would be equitable?
- Was the Federal Reserve correct in changing their monetary policy guidelines?
- Can American-based oil companies recover from their falling share prices?
- Has COVID-19 made a federal infrastructure bill more or less likely?
- Is it time to rethink the American system of employer-based health insurance?
International Conflicts (Round 2)
- Is the rise in mass killings a sign that Colombia’s peace deal is failing?
- How can the Belarusian government end the standstill with the protesters?
- What can Nepal do to be better prepared for natural disasters?
- Does the arrest of Matthew John Heath in Venezuela indicate an escalation in tensions between the US and Venezuela?
- How can the international committee best help the refugees in Lesbos?
- Is Morocco uniquely positioned to help Libya successfully resolve its internal conflicts?
- Will current tensions between India and China will be the catalyst for a military conflict?
- Will expanding the US counterterrorism drone war to Kenya be effective?
US Presidential Election (Round 3)
- Will recent actions by social media platforms succeed at minimizing misinformation prior to the November election?
- Will Biden’s weak standing with Latinx voters cost him the election?
- Will continued strength in the stock market be enough to propel President Trump to re-election?
- Have pollsters learned from their 2016 errors?
- Has the Biden/Harris ticket done enough to appeal to the progressive wing of the Democratic Party?
- Will recent judicial decisions regarding voting rights change the outcome of the 2020 election?
- Is America prepared for a potential post-election constitutional crisis?
- Will the Trump campaign’s empty war chest significantly inhibit his campaign’s chances?
- How significant of a role will xenophobic and misogynistic attacks against Kamala Harris have on the election?
- What do the outcomes of progressive candidates in primaries nationwide signal for the larger left-wing movement moving forward?
- Has President Trump lost the Rust Belt for good?
- Will third-party candidates have any impact on the 2020 presidential election?