World Cup worries
With the World Cup, one of the globe’s most high-profile, high-price-tag sporting events under way in Brazil, organizers and fans are holding their breath, anxious to see if protests and strikes will disrupt the monthlong competition. Its preparations were marred by charges of corruption, mismanagement of funds, and stadium construction delays, including a partial collapse that killed two workers in São Paulo. Filipe Campante, associate professor of public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, will return to his native Brazil for the quarterfinals at the iconic Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro. A lifelong soccer fan, he spoke with the Gazette about the World Cup and its challenges. GAZETTE: The World Cup conjures images of the nation of Brazil uniting in its love of soccer for a month of celebrations. What kind of sense do you have of the atmosphere in the streets this year? CAMPANTE: Typically, every four years there is a...