Nathan Benefield

Nathan Benefield

Chief Policy Officer

Nathan (Nate) Benefield is the Chief Policy Officer at the Commonwealth Foundation.

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.”

11th Most Influential Blog

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 23, 2007

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…

Media

Read More: 11th Most Influential Blog

Financial Impact of Public Charter Schools

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 23, 2007

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…

Media

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Reforming the Budget Process

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 23, 2007

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…

Media

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Uninsured in America

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 23, 2007

Great video titled “Uninsured in America”, produced by Free Market Cure.

Media

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Pretend funding plan

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 20, 2007

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.”…

Media

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Two against 48

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 20, 2007

Dimitri Vassilaros column in Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on Senators Eichelberger and Folmer (the two in the 2 vs. 48) who voted against the budget. Vassilaros also discussesthe intricacies of state…

Media

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Another Anti-Cyber Assault by School Boards

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 19, 2007

School boards continue to attack public cyber schools and call for limiting their spending (you never hear anyone calling for school districts to limit their spending) in the Pittsburgh…

Media

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State flunks in financial disclosure

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 19, 2007

Brett Lieberman in the Patriot News on Pennsylvania’s failing grade for disclosure of public official’s financial interests The full report is here. The disclosure documents for the…

Media

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The Best States For Business

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 18, 2007

This is about a week old, but Forbes’ lastest Best States For Business ranks PA near the bottom, coming in at 39 this year. I’m sure with the Film…

Media

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Edifice Complex Charts and Resources

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 18, 2007

Below are charts, source data, and statistical results results (as promised) from our report Edifice Complex: Where Has All the Money Gone Charts used at News Conference (PDF)…

Media

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Turnpike Wheeling and Dealing

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 18, 2007

Brad Bumsted’s assessment of the Turnpike Commission’s deal to expand their power and protect their fiefdom. The Turnpike Commission may have gotten enough House votes for their borrowing and…

Media

Read More: Turnpike Wheeling and Dealing

Milton Friedman Resolution Passes!

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 17, 2007

Without drawing much attention, given all the attention going to the state budget and the transportation funding plan, we scored a legislative victory of sorts. Late last night…

Media

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Edifice Complex at Central Dauphin?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 17, 2007

Yesterday we released a report titled The Edifice Complex, which looks at school district spending (as well as contrasting that with cyber schools), finding that school districts suffer from…

Media

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Changing the rules

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 16, 2007

We’ve been called out on GrassrootsPA for “trying to re-write the rules at the end of the process. But I thinkeveryone can see the shell game…

Media

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Eichelberger Speaks Out on Budget

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 16, 2007

Senator Eichelberger’s floor statement on why he could not support the budget. (Eichelberger was one of only two “no” votes in the Senate, joining Senator Folmer).

Media

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Budget Line Items Revealed

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 15, 2007

The budget deal was reported from conference committee tonight (the deal had already been worked out behind the scenes, the conference committee just reported what was handed to them).

Media

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Closed doors & capitulation

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 15, 2007

Brad Bumsted on why conservatives and reformers are upset about the budget deal: The deal occured behind closed doors. All the rank and file members were excluded, and what…

Media

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