One of the most common anxieties extempers face isn’t finding sources or analyzing the question–it’s simply remembering what they want to say. When the round starts, adrenaline spikes, and your flow evaporates from your memory. But here’s the truth: Memory in extemp is not about memorization. It’s about how you structure your thinking, your writing, […]
Category: Extemp Content and Strategy
Question: How should California strengthen its wildfire preparedness strategy? Thought Process: California has seen major deficiencies in its response and preparedness for ravaging wildfires. Just last year, the Palisade wildfires swept through Southern California, destroying homes and thousands of acres of property in its wrath. Concerns over how prepared California was for the catastrophe has […]
A: The Problem In most cases, having a routine for tournaments is a good thing. Knowing what you’re going to wear, how you’re going to use your time pre-round, how long it’ll take you to prepare your breakfast, etc. are all helpful tools to eliminate decision-making fatigue and conserve your energy for speaking. For many […]
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Prepping on Paper
Whether or not your local tournaments require it, most major invitationals and national-level tournaments mandate on-paper extemp prep. That means your research tech stays on the table, and your prep comes with you only in the form of what you can write down. Paper prep refers to using a physical medium, be it a legal […]
Nov. 21, 2025 Question: How should Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo respond to rising anti-government protests? Thought Process: A few weeks ago, Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo was killed after echoing calls for combatting the cartels, sparking major protests against the government and President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration. Since coming into office, Sheinbaum has held significant popularity, […]
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On Tone in Extemp
It’s a Sunday morning, and you’re watching a major national final round. The first speaker comes out with a question on natural disasters: “let’s give 5 big booms to the victims of flooding in Malaysia!” The crowd shifts in uncomfortable laughter. For an event that relies overwhelmingly on humor for entertainment value, something about that […]
Background Nicolás Maduro has maintained strong control over Venezuela in terms of their political and economic systems since the death of Hugo Chávez in 2013. This power has persisted even through the widespread accusations of corruption during the 2024 elections with the backing of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) and the country’s security […]
November 6th, 2025 Question: Should the United States prioritize alliances or domestic reform to maintain its global leadership? Thought Process: The U.S., under the Trump administration is redeveloping its foreign policy, rooted in a methodology to promote the prioritization of American interests in both global and domestic affairs. As Trump employs tariff policy to shape […]
Speech and debate is an activity rooted in activism and protest. Through community, forensics competitors are given a platform to use their voices to uplift the marginalized and bring attention to the societal and political issues that mean the most to them. Though every competition event faces its own struggles concerning ethicality in advocacy, extemp […]
October 30th, 2025 Question: Will Trump’s agreements with ASEAN hold? Thought Process: Tensions are mounting as questions arise over the durability of President Trump’s new trade and security arrangements with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). While the agreements promised renewed U.S. engagement in the Indo-Pacific, skepticism persists among member states over Washington’s consistency, […]
In Extemp, it is easy to get caught up in the stress of only 30 minutes of preparation and forget about arguably the most important thing in determining your success: the judge. Judges aren’t robots that score you off of a rubric. Although they may look for certain things in both your content and presentation, […]
October 9th, 2025 Question: Will teacher shortages worsen learning gaps across U.S. schools? Thought Process: In the status quo, we see nationwide teacher shortages that continue to threaten the classroom experience, and as educators face lower salaries, weak benefits and difficult students; getting new and experienced educators alike into the classroom has become a challenge. […]
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The History of Extemp
This summer marked the 100th anniversary of the National Speech and Debate Association. Over the last few decades, the NSDA and extemp have undergone major shifts that shaped the event into what we recognize today. In the spirit of Confucius’s advice to “study the past if you would define the future,” revisiting the legacy of […]
By now, the fabulous writers at the Extemper’s Bible have probably taught you all there is to know about the rules of extemp. You know what substructure belongs in what kind of speech, when to use humor, and how to keep a judge engaged. But no formula is ever 100% perfect, and formulaic speeches don’t […]
Question: How are higher H-1B fees affecting the American tech industry? USX Thought Process: President Trump’s recent policy changes to H1B Visas have stirred controversy and concern in America’s Tech industry. With a yearly price tag of $100,000 on each H1B visa holder, the future of the visa and its viability for these companies has […]
Background Nepal has descended into one of the most turbulent political times in recent history. What began last month as an outcry over a government shutdown of 26 social sites, including YouTube, Facebook, and WhatsApp, soon blossomed into mass protests, harsh suppression, and ultimately Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli’s resignation. The shutdown, decreed in response […]
Question: How will Japan’s prime minister resignation impact leadership and Asian stability? Thought Process: When answering this question, it’s vital to consider Japan’s influence in the South East Asian region, and how domestic politics can spill over into Diplomacy. Shigeru Ishaba’s departure from the premiership is paving the way for a consistent pattern of a […]
The AGD is the most important part of an Extemp speech, but can also be the most difficult. Think about the last great extemp speech you saw, at TOC, NSDA, etc. Odds are, the first 15 seconds weren’t packed with any quantitative statistics or policy analysis. Instead, they were memorable because they made the judge […]
Question: How will the firing of the CDC Director impact public health in America? Thought Process:Currently, fear and paranoia are spreading as health issues across the country go unaddressed due to the lack of strong CDC leaders. I wanted to build on this fear and make my argument address the emotional impact, tapping into the […]
When most extempers think about prep, they tend to focus on evidence, structure, and delivery. And, rightfully so. As a result, though, transitions often get neglected. And while it’s certainly important to ensure the body of your speech is fleshed out before shifting your focus to transitions, doing so can be incredibly valuable. Transitions are […]
DX – Kavin Selva Will the tariff truce last between the United States and China? First Thoughts – I know that the trade war between the United States started roughly halfway through Trump’s first presidency. The original justification for increasing tariffs was that China engaged in unfair economic practices, with issues such as intellectual property […]
Eric Qian – IX Should OPEC work with its member countries to establish a bloc-wide sovereign wealth fund to ensure economic stability post-oil? This question is one of the released questions for the 2025 NIETOC—it’s from round 2 on regional alliances (IX). Upon reading this question, the answer is probably yes. OPEC needs to diversify […]
DX – Eric Qian Will the Supreme Court vote to uphold Donald Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship? This question is from this year’s Harvard tournament. It’s tricky for many reasons; first, predicting Supreme Court decisions is just naturally hard, and second, there’s both a legal and a political approach to the question. I don’t […]
IX – Eric Qian What will be Yoon Suk Yeol’s legacy? To be completely honest, this is not a fun question. Not a complicated one—but weirdly broad and predictive. A politician’s legacy is determined by what they’re remembered for; that’s determined by common themes across their time in office. One theme I see with Yoon […]
One of the biggest challenges in extemp is balancing preparation with performance. For beginners and even seasoned speakers, last-minute cramming can lead to either blanking out mid-speech or overloading your brain with facts you barely understand. Reducing your prep time doesn’t mean doing less, instead, it means doing smarter, targeted practice that helps you actually […]
IX – Eric Qian Now that the Sudanese Armed Forces have recaptured Khartoum, is the civil war nearing an end? This is a tricky prediction question, but I think it’s helpful to think about what makes civil wars come to an end. The Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces would need to negotiate […]
Are pre-tournament jitters getting you down? You’re not alone! In this article, Shriya Surana breaks down strategies to elevate your confidence and performance.
DX – Kavin Selva How will recent changes to Southwest’s business model impact the American airline industry? First thoughts – My first thoughts here are about the substructure I’ll use for this question. The first subpoint will be a change Southwest has implemented, and the second subpoint will be an effect on the industry. Looking […]
Hi viewers! Bible content team here – we’re excited to announce a change in our content. We know y’all can subscribe to things like newsletters to learn about what’s going on in the world, so we’re shifting away from our typical content brief articles. Instead, we’ll be publishing question briefs. In these question briefs, we’ll […]
Between the twin capital cities of Sucre and La Paz, contemporary Bolivia faces foiled takeovers and rough power transitions. In this article, Shriya Surana breaks down the status quo and anticipates a renewed judicial response ahead of the contentious 2025 national election.
Peru is no stranger to democratic instability. The nation has had 7 leaders in the past 6 years, and their current President doesn’t seem to be taking her role too seriously. In this article, Sahana Srikanth examines the legacy of the current Peruvian President Dina Boluarte, explaining the impacts of the world’s least popular president. […]
A month after the collapse of the Cuban power grid, the situation in Cuba has continued to deteriorate. In this article, Kavin Selva examines the decades of historical failures that led to a widespread meltdown.
The European Union is an essential bloc promoting peace and well-being for European citizens. In this discussion of EU Expansion, Sahana Srikanth analyzes Albania, Ukraine, and Moldova’s complex cases for accession. What does it take to join Europe’s most exclusive club? For nine hopeful nations, the answer is yet to come. The EU is home […]
Three months into Nicolás Maduro’s new term, the crisis in Venezuela has intensified. In this article, Shriya Surana breaks down key information and analyzes the efficacy of modern attempts to solve the regional crisis.
Hopefully you have read Part 1 and Part 2 of the newest Substructure series, where we first examined the basics of the extemp substructure before diving into various types of substructure that apply to different questions. In this article, we’ll add to that by expanding upon the forms of advanced substructures.
Hopefully you have read Part 1 of the newest Substructure series, where we examined the basics of the extemp substructure, in addition to claims and warrants. In this article, we’ll add to that by articulating the various types of substructures that apply to different questions.
Without a doubt, extemp substructure can seem overwhelming. In this article, the first of a substructure series, Kajal will explain the basics of substructure, as well as dive into the claims and warrants.
Many today wonder who will be the next president of the United States of America. In this article, James Grant discusses how to predict the upcoming presidential election, and who will ultimately claim or reclaim the White House.
Following the firing – and rehiring – of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, the future of AI remains a controversial topic, cultivating debate on its potential benefits and harms. In this topic analysis, Kajal Parmar discusses why such debate has arisen on AI companies and key sectors impacted by the growth of AI.
Power outages in Texas have been increasing in the past few years, and this is “one thing” Texas just can’t handle. In this Article, Annika Anand discusses Texas’s “snowpocalypse” and why the issues behind it still remain.
The results of the prep survey are finally here!
Following chaotic Speaker of the House elections, the future of the Republican party remains highly uncertain. In this topic analysis, Siri Ural investigates causes and consequences of divisions in the right wing.
Published in 2017, Howard W. French provides excellent historical context to understand some of the motivations behind China’s modern-day behavior.
We at The Extemper’s Bible have created a quick survey that we want you to fill out about the way you prep your speeches: tinyurl.com/yckjmd5h.
As we enter an intense competitive period of the national circuit season, Siri Ural discusses the importance of utilizing context to create pathos arguments.
Guess what? We have a book now. It’s name? Well, the title of our website. By Krish Shah with Govind Pattathil and Vikram Sundaram as contributors.
Kevin asks some of his favorite extempers what they’ve done to practice for TOCs. Definitely not a last minute Spring Break grind session…
In this article, Ananth Veluvali provides a strategy for practicing before big tournaments.
In this article, Ananth Veluvali explores how extempers can read the news efficiently and comprehensively.
Few things spice up a speech like a timely quote. In this article, we’ll go over some quotes that can be used in any extemporaneous speech and go over how to use them.
While summer is the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors and the sweet feeling of freedom that comes with having no homework, it’s also a great time to improve your extemp skills. In this article, Ananth Veluvali delves into some tips and tricks for becoming a better extemper over the summer.
Citing a book is one of the most impressive things you can do in an extemp speech. Beyond presenting an opportunity to cite distinguished scholars, books typically hold complex political, social, and economic theories that add sophistication to your speeches. Below is a list of a few books you may want to cite in your next speech.
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Podcasts for Extemp
Sometimes, you want to get your extemp information without having to pore over news articles and think tank reports. That’s where podcasts enter into play: you can stay up-to-date with the latest events and relax a bit! Keep reading to discover some enjoyable podcast sources. This article was written by Ananth Veluvali.
Citing a book is one of the most impressive things you can do in an extemp speech. Beyond presenting an opportunity to cite distinguished scholars, books typically hold complex political, social, and economic theories that add sophistication to your speeches. Below is a list of a few books you may want to cite in your next speech.
In important rounds, you may have to cross-examine your opponents. In this article, we’ll delve into what cross-examination is and how to effectively do it. This article was written by Ananth Veluvali.
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Charts & Graphs
In this article, we go over a few handy charts and graphs to help any extemper
Effectively outlining your introductions and points can be a daunting task. Fortunately, with a little practice, you can nail your outlines every single time! This article was written by Ananth Veluvali.
After months of careful deliberation and thoughtful editing, nationally-acclaimed extempers Sam Padmanabhan, Kevin Bi, and Alex Yang wrote a handbook for extempers of all skill that we’ve published in this article. Enjoy!
In this article, Ananth Veluvali lays out a four-step practice routine that novice and varsity speakers alike can follow during Spring Break to become a better speaker.
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Intro to Intros
In this article, Katelyn Cai and Peter Alisky run through everything you need to know about the introduction to an extemp speech.
The statement of significance is an important, albeit underutilized tool in extemporaneous speaking. In a single 10 second statement, your judge will either feel connected or distanced from your topic. Thus, nailing this part of the speech is critical to being a successful speaker. In this article, learn some tips about how to utilize statements […]
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5 Tips for Filing
In extemp, effective filing is of paramount importance. In this article, Anne Smith highlights five tips to become better at filing.
Few things spice up a speech like a timely quote. In this article, we’ll go over some quotes that can be used in any extemporaneous speech and go over how to use them.
Figuring out an effective practice schedule for extemp can be a challenging task. In this article, Katelyn Cai takes a deep dive into a few practice strategies that will make you a more effective extemper.
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The Art of AGDs
Introduction The attention-getting device, better known by its moniker the AGD, is one of the most important parts of an extemp speech. Despite this, most extempers recycle the same 2-3 AGDs for an entire tournament, often resulting in strenuous ties between their opener and the topic. Fortunately, it requires little effort to produce stronger attention […]
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Extemp Sources
Need some sources to file? Look no further!
In this article, Cailin Friary takes a deep dive into the realities of speech and debate in small communities without strong debate infrastructures and ways to get involved and improve whether you are a small or big school competitor.
Bradley Wascher is a professional elections analyst and an alum of extemp speaking, where he competed for 6 years. He was gracious enough to lend his time & write up an article for the Extemper’s Bible, where he combines his unique political insights and years of experience in extemp to provide stellar electoral analysis.
Questions calling for extempers to prescribe a feasible solution to one of the world’s many problems are unavoidable for the average speaker. While the difficulty of these questions vary, Daniel Kind helps outline some easy-to-follow guidelines for how you can best approach and answer these questions.
Hopefully, by now you’ve read the first part and second part of this substructure series. If not, I recommend that you do that before going any further into this article, where we’ll take a deeper dive into the last three specific & advanced substructure formats you can use in extemp.
Hopefully by now, you’ve read Part 1 of this series (you should in order to better understand the ABC model that is discussed) and substructure is starting to make some sense. If not, don’t worry — in this next part, we’ll take a look at some specific substructure formats, which should make things clearer.
The basis of substructure & some examples.