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.”

Cutting the Legislature

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 22, 2007

Brian O’Neill of the Post-Gazette attempts to make the case that Pennsylvania should reduce the number of state legislators. His reasoning – we should be like the other big…

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Talk of Universal Health Care Grows

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 22, 2007

Washington Post on Pennsylvania and other states’ plans for universal health insurance. Twice the article compares health insurance mandates to auto insurance: Some plans mandate that every individual…

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How Pennsylvania keeps health care costs high

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 22, 2007

Wal-Mart has rolled out a program to sell prescription drugs for $4; however Pennsylvania won’t allow this. Instead, the states requires Wal-Mart to charge a minimum of $9…

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Ode to RendellCare

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 21, 2007

Philadelphia Inquirer story on Rendell’s health care plan, it is a pretty gushy story, with the Commonwealth Foundation providing the lone voice of reason. Pat Toomey’s editorial in…

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New Pa. House members get free cars

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 19, 2007

Nearly half of the new state legislators are taking taxpayer-funded cars, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports (see list of lawmakers, vehicles, and price tag here). The quandry some have…

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Public Health Insurance is Not Sustainable

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 18, 2007

Fraser Institute study reports that “health insurance costs are growing faster than our ability to pay.” While this may sound like a report that would support Governor Rendell’s “…

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Making the same mistakes?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 18, 2007

John Fund in today’s Wall Street Journal on the mistakes of Gov. Schwarzenegger’s health care plan — all of the points could equally apply to Gov. Rendell’s proposal. For…

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RendellCare!

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 17, 2007

AP story on Rendell’s health care proposals, including universal health care (“Cover All Pennsylvanians”). For more details, go to the Governor’s Health Care Reform site. FYI, several months…

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Pork Lovers in Academe on a Diet

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 16, 2007

Chronicle of Higher Ed article (subscription) on how universities are coping without pork projects for the rest of the fiscal year. For anyone who shed tears over Harry Reid’s…

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Rendell’s Pension Reform Plan?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 16, 2007

From the Patriot News report on the state employees contract deal came this tidbit: Rising pension costs also were discussed in negotiations, but Budget Secretary Michael Masch said those…

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Tax Shifts Considered

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 16, 2007

Both the Camp Hill School District and Cumberland Valley School District are considering shifting from property taxes to an income tax (PIT for Camp Hill and EIT for…

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Turnpike readies for battle over sale, lease

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 16, 2007

Patriot News story on how the Turnpike Commission is busy hiring lobbyists and PR representives to fight a potential turnpike lease – use of public money for lobbying and…

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State worker contract agreement reached

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 15, 2007

From the Central Penn Business Journal:The contract will increase employee health-care contributions from 1 percent to 3 percent [of salary] in the next four years. It includes pay…

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Lawmakers cash in on way out

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 15, 2007

Patriot News article on the thousands collected in “per-diems” by local retiring lawmakers; local being emphasized because (particularly in the case of former Senator Chip Brightbill, who collected $17,000…

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State’s with Worst Roads

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 14, 2007

AOL.com article on states with the worst roads – Pennsylvania ranks 2nd worst among the 50 states, ahead only of hurricane-ravaged Louisiana. Just another reason why we should…

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Earmark Entertainment

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 12, 2007

Wall Street Journal article on how US Senate Democrats are opposing the earmark reform passed by House Democrats.

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Cost of a Legislator

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 11, 2007

Someone called our office for this information, and I wrote his email down wrong, so I am posting in here, in case he sees it, and because it is ineresting…

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More on the Minimum Wage

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 11, 2007

NCPA Analysis points out that a national minimum wage affects some regions more than others – particularly when comparing Red States to Blue States. Specifically, principle supporters Nancy Pelosi…

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House Already Reforming Itself

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 10, 2007

The PA House Republicans spent much of the past week discussing how best to enact reform – and deciding their first step would be to create a new caucus…

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