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.”

Priceless politics

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 20, 2007

Thomas Sowell wonders why local governments feel they need to own and operate golf courses under the mantra of “helping the poor”: “Are the taxpayers being asked to support…

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Uninsured And Overinflated

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 16, 2007

Investor’s Business Daily editorial breaks down the “46 million” without health insurance: most are without insurance short-term, immigrants, eligible for current government programs, or young and choosing not to…

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Adding Up the Reasons For Expensive Health Care

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 15, 2007

Washington Post article details why healthcare is so expensive in the US. Doctor’s pay, unnecessary testing, and hospital amenities play a major role (and the third-party payer model falls…

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The Stubborn Welfare State

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 14, 2007

Robert Samuelson looks at where tax dollars really go. The charts tell it all.

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A Portrait of the Economy

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 14, 2007

Wall Street Journal editorial on why growth of Big Government always undermines economic growth.

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Should Uncle Sam Take Oil Company Profits?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 13, 2007

US News and World Report answers: No: “Today’s earnings are tomorrow’s investments, both in exploiting hard-to-reach oil reserves and in alternative fuels.” Of course, Governor Rendell believes those investments…

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Utah enacts school vouchers

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 13, 2007

Utah Governor Huntsman signed into law the first statewide school voucher program open to virtually all students. Scholarship value would vary based on family income.

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Electric customers face double hit

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 12, 2007

The Morning Call explains why electricity prices will be going up to pay for a program to tell consumers that electricity prices are going up.

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9.8% Spending Increase

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 12, 2007

Because of plans to create new state funds and shifting spending from the General Fund to other funds, the Governor’s budget proposal really implies a 9.8% increase in spending from…

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Taxing Teachers

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 11, 2007

When Governor Rendell intoduced his proposed “Oil Company Gross Profits Tax”, he bashed Exxon-Mobil and their profits. The Governor apparently forgot that Exxon’s profits are owned by people, including being…

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Record Taxes

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 6, 2007

Much has been made about Exxon’s “record profits”, but no media focused on their “record taxes“–Exxon paid three times in taxes what they earned in profits. Why is this…

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Fiscal Revelation

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 6, 2007

Wall Street Journal crunches numbers in the federal budget and national debt.

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