Nathan Benefield
Chief Policy Officer
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 Chief Policy Officer , 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
Are We Talking Ourselves Into Recession?
BusinessWeek article on whether the media’s obsession with bad economic news may be driving low consumer confidence and turning a “slowdown” into a recession. Case in point: I recently…
Media
Read More: Are We Talking Ourselves Into Recession?Education
Home-Schooling Under Attack
Here is some commentary on the recent California court ruling that would require parents homeschooling their children to have full teaching credentials/certification. Acton Institute PowerBlog Cato-At-Liberty…
Media
Read More: Home-Schooling Under AttackState Budget
Earmark Nation
Wall Street Journal on the political value of taking a hard line opposing earmarks, compared with the value of pork projects. Unorthodox as he’s been on some conservative…
Media
Read More: Earmark NationTaxes & Economy
Pa. legislative Democrats’ I-80 report worthless
Towanda Daily Review editorial on the “study” commissioned by House Democrats on a Turnpike lease. One addition to my previous notes on the “study”: To show…
Media
Read More: Pa. legislative Democrats’ I-80 report worthlessTaxes & Economy
Median U.S. Gross Income: $61,500
TaxProf Blog has the latest US Median Income, along with a couple of nifty charts on median income growth (in both nominal and real terms) and the average income…
Media
Read More: Median U.S. Gross Income: $61,500Education
Determining the Cost of an Adequate Education
The Pennsylvania General Assembly recently commissioned a $650,000 study to determine what it “costs” to educate a child. The firm winning the commission reported that the state should increase spending…
Commentary
Read More: Determining the Cost of an Adequate EducationGovernment Accountability
PSU Study: Whites still think Blacks are apes
In addition to commenting on policy issues, I also like to comment on some of very weird, esoteric studies conducted by academic researchers. The most recent is this study…
Media
Read More: PSU Study: Whites still think Blacks are apesState Budget
Campbell on Earmark Moratorium
Video of John Campbell on earmarks. I especially like him bringing up the “monuments to me” – i.e. earmarks by legislators for projects named after themselves – noting “I hope…
Media
Read More: Campbell on Earmark MoratoriumGovernment Accountability
Campaign-Finance Breakdown
John Lott and Bradley Smith in the Wall Street Journal on taxpayer-financing of presidential elections: Since 1976, taxpayers have shelled out about $3 billion in current dollars to…
Media
Read More: Campaign-Finance BreakdownGovernment Accountability
Influence-Peddling
John Stossel on Townhall.com on the rhetoric against “special interests” and “corporate lobbyists” in Washington (also applicable to Harrisburg): None of the reforms gets near root of the…
Media
Read More: Influence-PeddlingTaxes & Economy
Turnpike Comission seeks private bidders to finish roads
With no sense of irony, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is adverstising for for “expressions of interest” from private firms interested in finishing and managining the Mon-Fayette Expressway and Findlay…
Media
Read More: Turnpike Comission seeks private bidders to finish roadsTaxes & Economy
Free analysis of costly Turnpike study
Toll Roads News offers some comments on the $75,000 taxpayer-funded “study” on a Turnpike lease. The Caucus report is in its nature hypothetical. It is based on…
Media
Read More: Free analysis of costly Turnpike studyTaxes & Economy
Did the PA min. wage increase cost jobs?
The PA Department of Labor and Industry released their report on the state minimum wage increase. As this Post-Gazette story indicated, the report doesn’t attempt to address what…
Media
Read More: Did the PA min. wage increase cost jobs?Public Union Democracy
Texas v. Ohio
Wall Street Journal article contrasts the economic fortunes between Texas (good) and Ohio (bad), and explores some of the reasons behind this – namely taxes (Texas=low, Ohio=high and increasing)…
Media
Read More: Texas v. OhioTaxes & Economy
NAFTA, Foreign Trade, and jobs
Cato’s Dan Griswold writes that “Ohio Needs More Foreign Trade” as Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama denounce NAFTA in Ohio: Ohio workers would pay a heavy price for…
Media
Read More: NAFTA, Foreign Trade, and jobsRegulation
Union wants pension backing for roads
Financial Times article on public sector unions pushing for public pension funds to invest in roads and other infrastructure. Of course, as noted, many public pension funds (the California…
Media
Read More: Union wants pension backing for roadsTaxes & Economy
An Upside for the Middle Class
Interesting Washington Post article on the middle class: Items once considered luxuries — dishwashers, central air conditioning, video cameras — are now common. The average size of new…
Media
Read More: An Upside for the Middle ClassRegulation
How to Shrink an Economy
Penn State Altoona econ professor John McGinnis writes on how Pennsylvania’s “economic development” spending shrinks our economy – first by taxing to pay for this corporate welfare, then by…
Media
Read More: How to Shrink an EconomyGovernment Accountability
After returning raise, LaGrotta took it back
Another bizarre twist in the payraise debacle was uncovered in the Frank Lagrotta case. Former Rep. LaGrotta was recenlty convicted and sentenced, and more recently face a ruling that…
Media
Read More: After returning raise, LaGrotta took it backState Budget
PA Budget Historical Numbers
I’ve received a couple of requests for historics Pennsylvania state budget numbers, so I thought I’d post the data here. The figures represent actual final spending from 1970-2007, while…
Media
Read More: PA Budget Historical NumbersEducation
Empowering Families
Ken Blackwell commentary on the mistakes states are making by continuing to push for taxpayer-funded state-run preschool – to the detriment of educational choice and parental control.
Media
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