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.”
PA’s Debt: $110 Billion
In response to a question from one of our readers, here is a analysis of Pennsylvania state and local government outstanding debt (the latest data for local governments from the…
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A Conversation with Milton Friedman
Dallas Fed posts previously unreleased Conversation with Milton Friedman. Both audio and video available.
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Ethanol Backlash
Wall Street Journal article on how Congress is rethinking the negative effects of subsidizing and mandating use of ethanol. I don’t usually call on the PA General Assembly to…
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Republicans Radical on Health Care?
Ramesh Ponnuru writes in Time Magazine that Republicans running for president have proposed more radical reforms in health care–seeking to tranform the system, rather than just preserve and extend…
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Picking how to pick judges
Brett Lieberman on the state party chairs now calling for “merit selection” of judges. Several points of irony: “Just a few years ago, Rooney, a former state representative from…
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Another Election, Another Victory for Citizens
Democracy Rising Pennsylvania on why Tuesday election was a victory for citizens: Voters had access to more and better information about judicial candidates than at any time in…
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The Strangest Use of Tax Dollars
Below is a bizzare video, paid for with Pennsylvania taxpayer dollars. Hat tip to The Club For Growth who report it cost $4,197. And over at NTU, they compute…
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More Reform Obituaries
Reformers’ next task: how to remain relevant – Morning CallTurn-’em-out drive failed – or did it? – Philadelphia InquirerA Rebuff to Reformers – Patriot News…
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A Voucher Defeat in Utah
Adam Schaeffer in the Wall Street Journal on why tax credits are a better tool for providing school choice than vouchers.
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More than 250 tell officials why they oppose I-80 tolls
Post Gazette story on the opposition to I-80 tolls at the Turnpike Commission’s post facto hearings.
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Response to Reform is Not Dead!
There are two types of halftime speeches – the rousing “win one for the Gipper” speech and the in-your-face, “you are playing like a bunch of [explicatives]”. I tried to…
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Poll: I-80 toll less popular than leasing the Pa. Turnpike
The Quinnipiac (I spelled it right on the first try) poll reveals that tolling I-80 is less popular than a Turnpike lease read the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review story or click…
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Reform is Not Dead! (yet)
John Micek already posed the question: Bad night all around for the Clean Sweepers. All the under-ticket state judges appear poised to hold onto their jobs as well.
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Election News Roundup
Patriot News on Judicial Retentions and on Supreme Court Elections Inquirer on races in the Southeast and on the less competitive Philadelphia Mayor’s race. Post-Gazette on…
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Election Day Updates
GrassrootsPA is keeping running updates of elections news and reports from the polls, so that we don’t have to. John Micek is live blogging over at Capitol Ideas.
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Justifying Pork
Andrew Roth takes on the leading excuses for earmarks by Congress. These same excusses are used to defend WAMs and other corporate welfare in Pennsylvania (see here and…
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Consumer Driven Health Plans: Working as Intended
New report from Consumers for Health Care Choices on the effect of Consumer Driven Health Plans: When these programs were being considered, proponents said they would have several…
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A chance to end farm subsidies
Los Angeles Times editorial on the corporate welfare for rich farmers (including those in Manhattan). IDB has an op-ed of its own on the upcoming vote. Also…
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$2 million spent by PHEAA on giveaways
Jan Murphy of the Patriot News exposes more PHEAA expenses – including “giveaways” such as golf balls, LL Bean Jackets, and T-Shirts bearing the PHEAA logo, I-Pods and DVD…
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Convert state pensions to defined contribution
Senator Pat Browne has an op-ed in The Morning Call on the need to reform our public pension systems and the legislation he will be sponsoring in the…
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Beyond Those Health Care Numbers
Greg Mankiw in the New York Times on the misuse of health care statistics – life expectancy, “47 million uninsured,” and costs of health care.
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