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.”

School districts’ pension tab to rise

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 9, 2006

Charles Thompson reports in the Patriot News that school districts’ contributions to the pension system is going to rise by about $94 million next year. That is minor compared…

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Specter gets GOP back on track

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 8, 2006

Sports Illustrated reports that Arlen Specter is trying to push the GOP back to the founding father’s principles of government, such as ensuring access to TV coverage of football.

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What about those with spending problems?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 8, 2006

The Post-Gazette reports that the hotline for problem gamblers has now opened. The irony of legalizing gambling to (in part) fund services for problem gamblers isn’t lost on me,…

Media

Read More: What about those with spending problems?

State of the Unions

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 7, 2006

Stephen Moore in the Wall Street Journal on the Washington State case on whether workers are entitled to refuse union fees that will be used for political activity. The…

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Rendell: Make an offer for Pa. Turnpike

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 7, 2006

Yesterday, Governor Rendell announced that the state will be accepting bids for a lease on the Pennsylvania Turnpike through December 22. (See Philadelphia Inquirer story). A lease would require…

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Rendell to weigh turnpike funding

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 6, 2006

The Patriot News reports that Governor Rendell will announce his views on leasing the Pennsylvania Turnpike. We at the Commonwealth Foundation maintain that Public-Private Parternships are the key to…

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National Health Care? We’re Halfway There

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 5, 2006

New York Times article highlights that fact that almost half of all Americans are covered by government health care (through Medicare, Medicaid and related program, and government employee’s health…

Media

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Increasing Dependence on Government

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 4, 2006

In a new report, the 2006 Index of Dependency, the Heritage Foundation concludes that Americans are growing increasingly dependent on government in the areas of housing, health care, education,…

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Kid’s coverage shortfalls

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 1, 2006

Stateline.org reports that many states Children’s Health Insurance Programs (S-CHIP) face multi-million dollar shortfalls, and hope that the federal government will bail them out. The article notes that states…

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Can 600 economists all be wrong?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 1, 2006

Greg Mankiw blogs on some economists “support” for a minimum wage increase. Some economists see the “modest benefits” outweighing the “modest adverse affects”. But unlike Governor Rendell and his…

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Ousted legislators’ nest eggs

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 1, 2006

Tracie Mauriello of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette advises “Don’t feel badly for state Rep. Mike Veon just because voters booted him out of office. … he’ll have free health insurance…

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Pennsylvania Pay Scandal Keeps Rolling

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 30, 2006

Discussion of the judicial ruling on the pay raise in this month’s Budget and Tax News from the Heartland Institute.

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Populist pap

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 30, 2006

Alan Reynolds column on the mainstream media’s replacement of “liberal” with “populist” when describing the advocates of big government.

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The Promise of Education Tax Credits

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 29, 2006

Acton Institute Commentary on the benefits of education tax credit programs, spotlighting Pennsylvania’s EITC as the model.

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State Legislatures Compared

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 28, 2006

The Empire Center in New York has compiled a few tables looking at legislative pay and budgets. What is most troubling as Pennsylvania is concerned is not…

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Republican Rehab

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 28, 2006

Wall Street Journal article on the US Senators who are actually fighting against pork-barrel spending.

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