Nathan Benefield

Nathan Benefield

Senior Vice President

Nathan (Nate) Benefield is the Senior Vice President 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 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.”

‘Prescription for Pa.’ blasted for overregulation

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 24, 2007

Lancaster New Era with coverage of Michael Cannon’s take on RendellCare. Video of Cannon’s presentation today at the Commonwealth Foundation will be available on our website soon…

Media

Read More: ‘Prescription for Pa.’ blasted for overregulation

Toast to progress

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 24, 2007

Post-Gazette editorial on the need to privatize state-run liquor stores.

Media

Read More: Toast to progress

Most school districts to limit tax increases

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 23, 2007

Martha Raffaele on the tax increases for school districts, noting most will be “limiting” increases within the index. The index allows districts to increase taxes by 3.4 to 5.5…

Media

Read More: Most school districts to limit tax increases

Some People Probably Shouldn’t Have Health Insurance

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 23, 2007

Michael Cannon blogs on why health care, not health insurance, is a priority at Cato-at-liberty. Cannon will be taking on the rhetoric of health care reform and offerign free-market…

Media

Read More: Some People Probably Shouldn’t Have Health Insurance

Rebutal to Keystone Rebutal

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 20, 2007

The union-backed Keystone Research Center issued a reply to my income vs wage commentary on their blog. I will add a couple more thoughts: Jobs:The job growth…

Media

Read More: Rebutal to Keystone Rebutal

Anti-oil Demagoguery

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 20, 2007

In a news release, Governor Rendell Calls on Bush Administration to Investigate Exorbitant Gas Prices. Governor Rendell is simply using demagoguery about the “profiteering oil companies” to justify his…

Media

Read More: Anti-oil Demagoguery

Turnpike Xenophobia?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 19, 2007

From Capitolwire (subscription): Will opponents dub turnpike-leasing plan “Dubai, Chapter II?” Some political analysts believe they have found the silver bullet to kill off Gov. Ed Rendell’s proposed turnpike-leasing…

Media

Read More: Turnpike Xenophobia?

State budget battle looms

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 19, 2007

Brad Bumsted in the Tribune-Review on the upcoming budget battle. Bumsted also touches on yesterday’s hearing on privatizing the state liquor stores (see related post here): On…

Media

Read More: State budget battle looms

Privatize liquor sales

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 19, 2007

Patriot News coverage of yesterday’s hearing on privatizion of the state stores. Read our News Release on the hearing and get the full testimony of Reason Foundation experts…

Media

Read More: Privatize liquor sales

Eliminate the turnpike commission

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 19, 2007

Sen. Jane Orie in the Post-Gazette on the waste in the Turnpike Commission and why it would be more efficient to run the turnpike – or oversee a lease…

Media

Read More: Eliminate the turnpike commission

Ethanol Vehicles A Health Hazard

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 18, 2007

Summary of a research report by Mark Jacoboson: “We found that E85 vehicles reduce atmospheric levels of two carcinogens, benzene and butadiene, but increase two others – formaldehyde…

Media

Read More: Ethanol Vehicles A Health Hazard

Health Care Reform Debate

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 18, 2007

New Republic (registration) has a back and forth between Johnathan Cohn, who argues the US needs a single-payer system in the model of France and Germany, and David Gratzer…

Media

Read More: Health Care Reform Debate

A Tax on Height?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 17, 2007

Greg Mankiw and Matthew Weinzierl propose a tax on height (get the full study here). It has more advanced statistics and a longer literature review than most satire.

Media

Read More: A Tax on Height?

More tax money to ethanol

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 16, 2007

Central Penn Business Journal on the announcement of $31 million in taxpayer-financed state grants for “clean energy projects,” primarily going to ethanol and biodiesel companies. Appearing yesterday on the…

Media

Read More: More tax money to ethanol

How much for PHEAA?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 16, 2007

If Sallie Mae is worth $25 Billion, PHEAA (which has about 1/10th the assets as Sallie Mae and about 1/20th the gross revenue) could be worth between $1.7 billion…

Media

Read More: How much for PHEAA?

Nepotism at Turnpike Commission

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 15, 2007

Tom Barnes in the Post-Gazette with a great story on nepotism and patronage at the Turnpike Commission. Rather than deny political favoritism in hiring (as they did last…

Media

Read More: Nepotism at Turnpike Commission

Tax subsidies needed to pay min. wage?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 14, 2007

I missed this story in the Philadelphia Inquirer last week. State Rep. (and Philadelphia mayoral candidate) Dwight Evans is working to get $820 million in state subsidy for the…

Media

Read More: Tax subsidies needed to pay min. wage?

More “whoops” with RomneyCare

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 13, 2007

Massachusetts will now exempt about 60,000 people from the “mandate” to buy health insurance, The Boston Globe reports. Those people earn too much to qualify for state subsidy, but…

Media

Read More: More “whoops” with RomneyCare

HSA Guide for Legislators

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 13, 2007

A Guide for State Legislators: Creating an HSA State from the Center for Health Transformation. Also, Greg Scandlen of Consumers for Health Care Choices offers these suggested additions:…

Media

Read More: HSA Guide for Legislators

Privately Managed Schools in Philly Gain

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 13, 2007

A new report by Paul Peterson at Harvard indicates that privately managed schools in Philadelphia had greater gains in PSSA scores than overall public schools and than “restructured” schools…

Media

Read More: Privately Managed Schools in Philly Gain

The Act 1 farce

  • Nathan Benefield
  • April 13, 2007

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review editorial on the Act 1, the so-called property tax relief law. Also the Patriot News has coverage of districts joining with the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber…

Media

Read More: The Act 1 farce