Nathan Benefield
Senior Vice President
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.”
Tax Burden Stifles Economic Growth
New NCPA Study examines the effect of an excessive tax burden on economic growth. The estimate the optimal level of federal, state, and local taxes should be about 23%…
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Rendell will explore leasing Pa. Turnpike
Following the Commonwealth Foundation’s forum on Public-Private Partnerships in Transporation Governor Rendell states that he is on board with exploring a lease of the PA Turnpike, according to the…
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Money Can’t Buy ‘em Learning
Andrew Coulson on over-spending and under-performing public schools. Coulson writes: So private schools get by with thousands of dollars less per pupil annually than the supposedly underfunded government system,…
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Courting disaster, tyranny
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review editorial on the need to update the civics books.
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Motorists face new costs for highways – USATODAY.com
USA Today article on alternatives to raising gasoline taxes in financing transportation.
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Sense of Irony?
The PA House Democratic Leadership Letter features two items that either show a sense of irony, or a complete blindless to the shadiness of Harrisburg politics. The first items…
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McCain: Defeat Was Payback for Losing ‘Our Principles’
From the New York Times. McCain hits all the ways conservatives looked to big government – spending increases, new entitlement programs, trying to bribe voters with pork barrel projects,…
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Learning from the election
The lesson from the Congressional election is “Money can’t buy me love” says Ed Feulner. Feulner will give the Keynote address at the Commonwealth Foundation’s Gala on December…
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Poverty and Spending
Report released Tuesday from the Goldwater Institute shows that states with the lowest taxes and spending reduced their poverty rates, while states with the highest taxes and spending saw…
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Milton Friedman Passes Away at 94
Milton Friedman Passes Away at 94. Mr. Friedman’s ideas and work have had a profound influence on the Commonwealth Foundation and on me. Here are some additional links and…
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Here we go again
After dozens of incumbent Congressional Republicans lost and a Wall-Street Journal poll showing that voters’ number one domestic issue was banning pork projects (following the explosion in the number…
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Think Twice on Tax Credits (Even Popular Ones)
Tax Foundation analysis shows that tax credits mean that only 40% of income is taxed – in other words, if we eliminate these tax credits we could cut federal…
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New CPI & Lawmakers COLA
The October Consumer Price Index was released today – while this will be studied by investors and economic analysts for multiple reasons, it is also of note for this…
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Commonwealth Foundation on PCN
If you missed today’s luncheon on Transportation funding, you can catch in on PCN – Pennsylvania Cable Network tomorrow at 2:15 pm.
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What should the Dems do?
Greg Mankiw analyzes new VA Senator Jim Webb’s editorial in the Wall Street Journal on income inequality: Erecting barriers to trade, raising the minimum wage, encouraging the cartelization…
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Reform on trial in Harrisburg
Editorial by yours truly in the York Dispatch…
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PHEAA Ordered to Open Books
The Commonwealth Court rules that the Open Records law, which applies to all state agencies, applies to PHEAA, which is a state agency that had refused to disclose many of…
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State eyes gas tax increase
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review coverage of the Transporation Funding Commission’s report and proposals to increase various taxes for increased transportation Spending.
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House votes to remove inheritance property tax
The PA House has voted to eliminate the state inheritance tax over four years, the Post-Gazette reports.
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Freshmen call for leadership reform
Herald Standard article on today’s House leadership elections. Newly elected Democratic Representatives “Mahoney, Kula, and Galloway said they would reveal their votes to the press” Read our…
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State court rejects lawsuit over ‘perks’ for legislators
From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Harrisburg activist Gene Stilp, who filed the Commonwealth Court suit in February, based his claim on a section of the constitution providing for legislators to…
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