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.”
State Based Health Care Reform: Mass. v. Mizzou
There are two very divergent paths states can take in health care reform. Massachusettes took the route of mandates to buy health insurance, higher taxes and subisidies, and more…
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The Indiana Toll Road: One Year Later
Read the Reason Foundation Commentary on the lease of the Indiana Toll Road. Earning $500,000 of interest per day? Sounds good, eh? Then read Geoff Segal’s commentary on…
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Rendell revives turnpike lease plan
Charles Thompson reports that Gov. Rendell is now looking again to the Turnpike Lease, as a “Plan B”. This in spite of his news release decrying the US…
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Edifice Complex: Where Has All the Money Gone?
From the 1986-87 to 2005-06 school years, taxpayer spending on Pennsylvania’s government-run K-12 schools increased from $6.6 billion to almost $22 billion—a 72% increase after adjusting for inflation. Between…
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Wage hikes affect prices, teen jobs
Dan Miller of the Patriot News on the effect of the minimum wage increase on jobs, hours, and worker benefits. The employers say they haven’t cut jobs.
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Clinton’s Hostile Preschool Takeover
Darcy Olsen of The Goldwater Institute on Hillary Clinton’s Pre-K plan. This is in response to a question for Brett Lieberman, but others are free to read up…
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Lottery Not Blaming Slots for Flat Sales
Marc Levy of the AP on stagnant lottery sales and the effect of slots. While the Lottery officials deny that slots had any effect on lottery sales. But the…
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US House voice vote against tolling I-80 in Pennsylvania – first shot in a war?
Toll Roads News with an in depth look at the move, and potential future actions, by several PA Congressmen to stop tolling of I-80. The bottom line is that…
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Cyber schools and public schools
A version of our commentary on public cyber schools ran in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer. On the same theme is a letter to the Pittsburgh Tribune Review on an…
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Toll plan hits bump in the road
More on the US House’s action to stop tolling of I-80 from the Patriot News. The federal law would mean that federal funds currently going to the state for…
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U.S. House votes against tolls on I-80
The US House approved an amendment to the transportation appropriation bill that would block tolling of I-80. The House has since passed the bill since Brett Lieberman broke the…
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School Choice and Racial Balance
Paul Peterson in today’s Wall Street Journal on how school choice can reduce racial segregation in schools.
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Reform coalition proposing budget timeline for lawmakers
Coverage of yesterday’s reform coalition press conference on reforming the budget process: Post Gazette Tribune Review WGAL TV (complete with poll asking, “Would you support a plan…
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Affordable Health Care Agenda
As the lead article on our website indicates, the Commonwealth Foundation has joined with over two dozen organizations to form the Health Care Freedom Coalition. Most…
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11th Most Influential Blog
PolicyBlog debuts as the Pennsylvania’s 11th most influential political blog on the Blognetnews.com rankings. Tony Phyrillas (#5) comments that we are moving up fast (though technically we are…
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Financial Impact of Public Charter Schools
Report from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools looks at the fiscal impact of charter schools and the myths propogated by school districts. Among their conclusions: Districts get…
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Reforming the Budget Process
The Commonwealth Foundation will be joining with other members of the reform coalition (today at 11 am) to discuss the budget process in the “era of reform,” and an alternative…
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Uninsured in America
Great video titled “Uninsured in America”, produced by Free Market Cure.
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‘Pre-K Counts’ Does Not Apply To Religious Schools
The Evening Bulletin on the effect of “Pre-K Counts” on private, religious preschools.
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Vouchers could desegregate schools better than buses
Some new data on yet another benefit of school choice – desegregation. Summary from NCPA…
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Pretend funding plan
Two days late and a dollar short, the Patriot News declares that “Turnpike borrowing and tolls for Interstate 80 come up short to finance statewide road needs.”…
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