Divide students into groups of about five or six. First, students in each group should try to develop some general definition of the term “public interest.” Give the groups about five minutes to come up with a definition, after which time they should share the definition with the class. Then, assign each group a general issue or problem (e.g., pollution, gun control, health care). Using the criteria set forth by Anderson, each group of students should try to determine what the “public interest,” if such a thing exists, is for their issue. Allow the students five to ten minutes to debate this. Does the problem area that they have been assigned fit into their definition of the public interest? Once the groups have come to a consensus, the groups should explain to the class why they believe that their issue fits into their definition of the public interest. Was there disagreement between members of the group? How did the group decide whether the issue was part of the public interest?