From FiveThirtyEight March 15, 2017 Cynthia (CC) DuBois Harris alumna, Cynthia (CC) DuBois MPP’10, takes to FiveThirtyEight to explore how the NFL's "Rooney Rule" model could effectively increase the diversity of Congress staff members. "Established in 2003, the Rooney Rule requires NFL teams to interview at least one nonwhite candidate for any head coaching vacancy. It is an example of a “soft” affirmative action policy — that is, one that is designed to change the composition of the candidate pool, rather than change the criteria used in the hiring process." More via FiveThirtyEight: Upcoming Events More events Policy Research and Innovation Bootcamp (PRIB) Policy Hackathon Challenge Deep Dive Tue., February 10, 2026 | 12:00 PM Preparing for Harris: Teaching Assistantships Wed., February 11, 2026 | 8:30 AM Coffee Chat in Western Massachusetts Wed., February 11, 2026 | 9:00 AM Tunnel City Coffee 100 Spring St #102 Williamstown, MA 01267 United States