Politics and Economics of the FIFA World Cup

1 Credit.

This one-week intensive course uses the 2026 FIFA World Cup—jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States—as a lens through which to examine fundamental questions in political economy and public policy. Co-taught by Filipe Campante (Johns Hopkins) and Stan Veuger (AEI), the course brings together students from JHU and AEI's Collegiate Network for structured conversations around the economic, political, and sociological dimensions of the world's most popular sporting event. The course will cover five broad topics areas: the determinants of national soccer performance, the political economy of global soccer, the economic geography of the host region, soccer’s role in shaping national identity, and the local economic impact of sport events and facilities. The course is tuition-free, designed for undergraduate students with an interest in public policy, politics, economics, national identity, and popular culture. Readings combine. Beyond the substantive content, students will be exposed to the research cultures of both AEI and JHU, build networks across institutions, and leave with sharper tools for thinking about how sports, politics, and markets intersect. The course will meet MWF at the American Enterprise Institute, and TTh at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center, Room 170B.