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.”

Rendell awarded $516M in grants during campaign

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 12, 2007

Debra Erdley of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports on the handing out of grants from the Capital Budget Redevelopment Assistance Fund. Defenders of this spending say it will revitalize our…

Media

Read More: Rendell awarded $516M in grants during campaign

The Market for Medical Care

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 12, 2007

Check out this new NCPA Report: The Market for Medical Care: Why You Don’t Know the Price; Why You Don’t Know about Quality; And What Can Be Done about…

Media

Read More: The Market for Medical Care

Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 12, 2007

John Fund in the Wall Street Journal writes about taxpayer-financed lobbying, which was exempted from the “ethics bill”. Also check out this site from Americans For Prosperity on…

Media

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Walter Reed and Universal Health Care

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 11, 2007

Greg Mankiw blogs on a satire piece in which Hillary Clinton calls for Universal Healthcare based on the Walter Reed scandal: “Just think how bad it would be if…

Media

Read More: Walter Reed and Universal Health Care

Turnpike Lease Information

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 9, 2007

Rep. Joe Markosek (House Transportation Committee Chair) has put up a website with Turnpike Lease info. It has a pretty good collection of info, including a letter listing…

Media

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Road leasing backed

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 9, 2007

State Sen. Don White talks about potential road leases in the Leader Times.

Media

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Local Pensions in Trouble Too

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 9, 2007

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review article on the trouble with Pittsburgh’s municipal pension plan, and other local plans. Many municipalities are looking for state aid, even while the state pension plans are…

Media

Read More: Local Pensions in Trouble Too

End PSAs

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 9, 2007

John Baer on taxpayer spending on lawmakers “Public Service Announcements” in the Philadelphia Daily News.

Media

Read More: End PSAs

More PHEAA Coverage

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 9, 2007

More media coverage of the outrageous expenses of PHEAA, the Governor’s call to “clean house,” and the suggestion (raised by the Commonwealth Foundation) that PHEAA be privatized: – Mario…

Media

Read More: More PHEAA Coverage

Is Rendell Cutting Taxes?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 8, 2007

Brett Lieberman of the Patriot News has an intriguing back and forth between myself and Governor Rendell and Budget Secretary Michael Masch on their tax plan. Despite a massive…

Media

Read More: Is Rendell Cutting Taxes?

Yes, Profits Matter

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 8, 2007

Investor’s Business Daily editorial on oil profits: Profits drive discovery and productivity in every industry, but particularly in the capital-intensive energy sector. The seismic and satellite technologies now…

Media

Read More: Yes, Profits Matter

Swearing-in Parties

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 8, 2007

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review articles reviews legislator expenses for their swearing-in day parties, including who charged the meals to taxpayers, and who didn’t: “Rep. Jim Marshall, R-Beaver County, said he bought…

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PHEAA ‘housecleaning’ urged

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 8, 2007

Governor Rendell is now agreeing that PHEAA needs to “clean house”, as the Patriot News Reports. It will be interesting to see what he proposes, and whether he thinks…

Media

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Lawmakers doubt Rendellconomics

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 7, 2007

Apparently, neither state Senators (see coverage by KYW NewsRadio) nor state Representatives (story in the Post-Gazette) believe Gov. Rendell has found a magic tax which will only tax…

Media

Read More: Lawmakers doubt Rendellconomics

GOP Protectionists

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 6, 2007

Jack Kemp on free trade and the so-called “conservative protectionists” in today’s Wall Street Journal.

Media

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PHEAA’s use of state plane saves money, CEO claims

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 5, 2007

Dick Willey argued to the Patriot News that using the state plane to fly PHEAA board members (almost all of whom are state legislators) to retreats across the US…

Media

Read More: PHEAA’s use of state plane saves money, CEO claims

Socialized pensions

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 5, 2007

Richard Rowland of the Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees illustrates just how wrong-headed Governor Rendell’s “Cover All Pennsylvanians” is, in a Patriot News Editorial. Rowland argues that not only…

Media

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Mandating Health Care?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 5, 2007

A debate on making health insurance mandatory, from the Des Moines Register. Jack Hatch, a state senator from Iowa, takes the “pro” position, Michael Tanner of Cato the “con”,…

Media

Read More: Mandating Health Care?