The term "conflict minerals" referred to four minerals-tantalum, tin, tungsten, and gold-that are mined in countries throughout the world, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). These minerals, sometimes referred to as the "3TG" minerals, were used in many industries for a variety of purposes. The electronics industry was a significant user of the "3 T's" and gold. Tungsten, for instance, was used in the screens of cellphones and also created the vibrating alert. Tantalum held the battery charge in a cellphone or tablet, was critical to the exchange of text messages and emails, and was a component of cellphone camera lenses. The conflict minerals issue dated to the early 2000s but public awareness took years to develop, following the efforts of nongovernment organizations such as the Enough Project. Intel began to work on the issue internally in 2008, at the direction of its CEO, and conducted its first conflict minerals supply chain survey in 2009. Intel then pledged to manufacture microprocessors with tantalum sourced from conflict-free supply chains by 2012 and to make the world's first commercially available microprocessor that is DRC conflict free for all four metals by 2013; it achieved both goals. Intel's decision to address the conflict minerals problem head-on was one of the movement's first big successes; the policies Intel implemented to obtain conflict-free minerals went beyond what was required by Dodd-Frank.

Driverless cars - once the stuff of science fiction - are fast becoming reality. Indeed, some automotive companies have said they expect to sell autonomous vehicles to the public by 2020. The advent of such self-driving vehicles raises numerous ethical and legal questions that will need to be addressed before such cars can hit the road in significant numbers. This case traces the history and evolution of auto safety in the United States, beginning with the very first automotive-related fatality on September 13, 1899 and ending with a coming era in which, some predict, humans will be banned from driving their own vehicles and machines will be obliged to have ethical systems.

A reliable, safe, supply of drinking water is essential to the survival of communities. In many places the water supply is under stress-a condition that is expected to get progressively more challenging in the future. There are several ways that municipalities can improve their drinking water supply, including conservation, purchases from external suppliers, desalination, and recycling. Recycling wastewater into potable water is attractive in many situations. However, this alternative has not always been successful-in some cases, public opposition has defeated recycling plans, while public concerns have been successfully addressed in others. This case gives an overview of water supply issues and examples of successful and unsuccessful attempts to implement recycling programs. Programs in Singapore and Orange County, California are profiled as examples of successful recycling efforts, while failures in San Diego, California, and Toowoomba, Australia are described.

Comprehensive health care insurance reform was a perennial goal of the Democratic Party. Although reform efforts had persistently ended in failure, proponents of reform saw a new window of opportunity after the 2008 Presidential election. Barack Obama had campaigned on the promise of reform and was elected by the largest margin of victory for any Democrat in decades. In Congress, Democrats held large majorities in the House (257 of 435 seats) and the Senate (58 of 100 seats, plus two independents who caucused with Democrats). Soon after his inauguration, President Obama held a forum assembling representatives from Congress, the health care industry, and unions to launch his pursuit of health care reform. This case reviews the public, legislative, and political battle that ensued. It follows the interest groups with a stake in health care policy, and the strategies that they, as well as politicians, used to promote their objectives within the context of U.S. policy making institutions.