Nathan Benefield
Senior Vice President
An Ohio native, Nate holds an undergraduate degree in political science and economics and a master’s degree in public service management from DePaul University in Chicago. He also completed his doctoral studies (ABD) in political science at Loyola University, also in Chicago.
Nate joined the Commonwealth Foundation in 2005. Now as senior vice president, he provides strategic leadership as well as operational oversight spanning policy analysis, government relations, marketing, and communications.
Nate has researched and written extensively on public policy issues including the state budget, public sector labor reform, government spending and taxes, liquor privatization, education, and economic development. Under Nate’s policy leadership, the Commonwealth Foundation’s work on public sector pension law helped drive the bipartisan pension reform of 2017, heralded by the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post as an example for other states to follow.
Nate has testified numerous times before state legislative committees and is often called upon by legislators and members of the media to provide expertise. He is a frequent commentator on both television and radio, and his writings have appeared across the state and nationally in outlets including the Philadelphia Inquirer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Patriot-News, and Weekly Standard.
Nate’s favorite rock song and personal motto are both “Don’t Stop Believin.”
Taxes & Economy
Concerns About Turnpike Lease Misguided
Testimony before the PA House Transportation Committee Good morning. I am Nathan Benefield, Director of Policy Research for the Commonwealth Foundation. We are a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy research…
Testimony
Read More: Concerns About Turnpike Lease MisguidedTaxes & Economy
Pennsylvania has 2nd highest corporate tax – in the world
A new report from the The Tax Foundation finds that Pennsylvania’s combined federal and local corporate income tax rate is higher than any other industrialized nation, and trails only…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania has 2nd highest corporate tax – in the worldRegulation
Smoke Freedom Day
WHP CBS 21 has a story on a quasi-protest of the looming smoking ban. Watch Ryan Shafik go all V for Vendetta on legislators, though his reasoned explanation…
Media
Read More: Smoke Freedom Day
Turnpike study called one-sided
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review article exposes the potential bias of authors of a recent Turnpike lease “study”: The study commissioned by state House Democrats was authored by Harvard professor John…
Media
Read More: Turnpike study called one-sidedTaxes & Economy
John Baer: Nutter & Obama are awesome
When Saturday Night Live made a mockery of the media’s gushing over Barack Obama, I was surprised at how quickly media-types responded by leveling some criticism and by starting some…
Media
Read More: John Baer: Nutter & Obama are awesomeHealth Care
Competition Solves Health Care
Tom Coburn op-ed in The New York Sun on why free markets are the solution to health care, and government programs are the problem. While government’s role in…
Media
Read More: Competition Solves Health CareGovernment Accountability
Merit Selection of Judges Blog
Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts has a new blog focusing on merit selection of judges at judgesonmerit.org. Personally I’m not yet persuaded by the merit selection arguments (see previous posts…
Media
Read More: Merit Selection of Judges BlogHealth Care
Stateline: Socialized Medicine = Fiscally Conservative
Stateline.org has an interesting article on health care funding in the states. The headline reads “On health care, govs are tightening belts.” Here are some examples of “belt-tightening”:…
Media
Read More: Stateline: Socialized Medicine = Fiscally ConservativeTaxes & Economy
PA Ranks 45th in Tort Liability
Pacific Research Institute has published their State Tort Liability Rankings for 2008. Pennsylvania ranks a lowly 45th, but is very close to 44th – we have your number, Rhode…
Media
Read More: PA Ranks 45th in Tort LiabilityRegulation
PUC goes after Amish transport
The Pennsylvania Utility Commission is cracking down on individuals giving rides to the Amish, read the Lancaster Online story and the WGAL story. The Post-Gazette also covered…
Media
Read More: PUC goes after Amish transportGovernment Accountability
Capitol staffers get their own pay raise
Jan Murphy in the Patriot has a look at big pay increases, and big salaries for some legislative staffers following the end of bonuses. While Eric Epstein points…
Media
Read More: Capitol staffers get their own pay raiseTaxes & Economy
Defending Free Trade
The Economist has an editorial defending NAFTA – and the need for the US (and presidential candidates) to drop NAFTA bashing. (HT: The Foundry). On a related front,…
Media
Read More: Defending Free TradeHealth Care
Why aren’t you dead?
John Goodman’s Health Policy Blog wonders why more people are being poisoned by restaurants – noting how inept public health inspectors are: What keeps you alive is the…
Media
Read More: Why aren’t you dead?Taxes & Economy
Litigating for Liberty
Reason Magazine has a great interview with Chip Mellor, co-founder of the Institute for Justice, on why he believes is “litigating for liberty” – defending parents’ rights to…
Media
Read More: Litigating for LibertyState Budget
Pigfoot Evicted from Jack Murtha Fundraiser
Video of CAGW’s Pig being tossed from Congressman Jack Murtha’s fundraiser while trying to present him with the prestigious “Porker of the Year” award.
Media
Read More: Pigfoot Evicted from Jack Murtha FundraiserState Budget
Porkers win the day, again
A few days ago, I remarked that the DeMint-McCain earmark moratorium was likely to pass the Senate, as both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton had signed on.
Media
Read More: Porkers win the day, againRegulation
Economic Impacts of the Climate Change Bill
A new study by the Science Applications International Corporation and sponsored by the National Association of Manufacturers and the American Council for Capital Formation looks at the economic impacts…
Media
Read More: Economic Impacts of the Climate Change BillRegulation
Smoking Bans Redux
Brad Vasoli in the Evening Bulletin has an article on the proposed state smoking ban, featuring comments from yours truly (a non-smoker). Here is more information on smoking bans…
Media
Read More: Smoking Bans ReduxGovernment Accountability
A Conservative Approach To Universal Health Care
Forbes article on the NFIB’s proposed health care agenda which includes allowing individuals to purchase health insurance coverage over state lines, tax deductions for individually purchased insurance, tort…
Media
Read More: A Conservative Approach To Universal Health CareHealth Care
PA House Rejects Real Health Care Reform
The Pennsylvania House passed an amendment (and is expected to pass the bill) that would enact the House Democrats’ “Pennsylvania ABC,” or as I call it, RendellCare 2.0,…
Media
Read More: PA House Rejects Real Health Care ReformGovernment Accountability
Opportunities with the Commonwealth Foundation
The Commonwealth Foundation is looking for a Research Associate, a Communications Associate, and a Development/Marketing Associate through the 2008-09 Koch Associate Program! If you’re interested, in working the the Commonwealth…
Media
Read More: Opportunities with the Commonwealth Foundation