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.”

Public Union Democracy

Stones to Take on Goliath

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 13, 2012

My friend Jon Caldara of our sister think-tank in Colorado eloquently and humorously offers an important lesson from the election—the results stem not from a short-term campaign, but from…

Media

Read More: Stones to Take on Goliath

Health Care

What Does Election Mean for Obamacare?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 12, 2012

While exit polling shows a majority of voters support full or partial repeal of the Affordable Care Act, this outcome remains unlikely. President Obama will not reverse his…

Media

Read More: What Does Election Mean for Obamacare?

Regulation

Pension Crisis Deniers Debunked

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 12, 2012

Last Thursday night, Katrina Currie debated the AFL-CIO’s Rick Bloomingdale on PCN’s call in show on the public pension crisis. Bloomingdale largely argued that there was no crisis (at least…

Media

Read More: Pension Crisis Deniers Debunked

Public Union Democracy

Election Lesson: Bring Wisconsin to Pennsylvania

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 8, 2012

The Wall Street Journal today writes about “Big Labor’s Losses” in Tuesday’s election. This may seem hard for many Pennsylvanians to fathom, given the role government union bosses…

Media

Read More: Election Lesson: Bring Wisconsin to Pennsylvania

Public Union Democracy

Election Day: 5 Things to Remember

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 6, 2012

1. The election results won’t slay Goliath.  The special interests who feed off of tax dollars—government union bosses, trial lawyers, extreme greens, crony capitalists that rely on corporate welfare,…

Media

Read More: Election Day: 5 Things to Remember

Regulation

How Big is the Pension Bomb?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 1, 2012

Taxpayers will have to pay $1,385 more each year for 30 years to fully pay off pension liabilities, according to a new study on the cost of pension plans…

Media

Read More: How Big is the Pension Bomb?

Taxes & Economy

Will Shale Boom Change Election?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 1, 2012

The shale gas boom has boosted the economy in key battleground states like Ohio and Pennsylvania, which may help President Obama, despite his hostility towards fracking—the process which…

Media

Read More: Will Shale Boom Change Election?

Health Care

Contain Medicaid Fire, Turn Hose on Pension Crisis

  • Elizabeth Stelle, Nathan Benefield
  • October 23, 2012

Last night’s presidential debate (despite the focus on foreign policy) featured much talk on skyrocketing debt and unsustainable entitlement programs. Protecting the middle class from growing debt isn’t a problem…

Media

Read More: Contain Medicaid Fire, Turn Hose on Pension Crisis

Taxes & Economy

Pa. Job Growth Triples National Rate

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 22, 2012

Last week saw the release of September state jobs data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Media coverage of this jobs report focused on the unemployment rate only, which…

Media

Read More: Pa. Job Growth Triples National Rate

Education

Union Party Kills Charter Reform

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 18, 2012

Yesterday, I noted that despite watering down a proposed charter school reform bill, legislators were still hearing from government union bosses and other…

Media

Read More: Union Party Kills Charter Reform

Education

Why Lawmakers Should Embrace Bold Action

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 17, 2012

Yesterday, the State Senate approved SB 1115, a charter school reform bill, which now goes to the House. This is a positive development for Pennsylvania children and parents. However, the…

Media

Read More: Why Lawmakers Should Embrace Bold Action

State Budget

Gov. Corbett Earns “A” for Fiscal Firefighting

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 9, 2012

Gov. Tom Corbett was one of only four governors to get an “A” in Cato Institute’s Fiscal Policy Report Card on America’s Governors. Corbett was joined by Govs. Sam…

Media

Read More: Gov. Corbett Earns “A” for Fiscal Firefighting

Education

How Much Do Philadelphia Schools Spend?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 9, 2012

Following Matt’s appearance on WHYY yesterday morning, we’ve received questions over our calculation on Philadelphia school district spending per student. The error was ours.  Based on the latest spending…

Media

Read More: How Much Do Philadelphia Schools Spend?

Education

Parental Choice + Competition = Better Schools

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 1, 2012

A new study of academic performance in Ohio finds that traditional public schools facing competition from charter schools experience greater gains in student learning.  In summarizing the findings, the…

Media

Read More: Parental Choice + Competition = Better Schools

Education

Charter Expansion Would Boost Student Learning

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 27, 2012

Priya wrote about the recent decline in state test scores and in the number of schools making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), noting seven facts union bosses don’t want you…

Media

Read More: Charter Expansion Would Boost Student Learning

Education

5 Fixes for Property Tax Fires

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 25, 2012

Yesterday, I testified before the House Select Committee on Property Tax Reform, presenting on the best tax policy to finance government operations, and on…

Media

Read More: 5 Fixes for Property Tax Fires

Education

Approaches to Property Tax Reform

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 24, 2012

Testimony of Nathan A. Benefield to the Pennsylvania House Select Committee on Property Tax Reform Good morning, my name is Nathan Benefield; I am the director of policy analysis for…

Testimony

Read More: Approaches to Property Tax Reform

Regulation

Mailbag: What Bills Would Fireproof Economy?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 11, 2012

One of our PolicyBlog readers asks: What bills would help address the Four Alarm Fire you keep speaking about? Here are a few bills we have been tracking: Taxpayer…

Media

Read More: Mailbag: What Bills Would Fireproof Economy?

Education

PSBA Chooses Scores Over Kids

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 5, 2012

Yesterday, Priya posted on how a Philadelphia area family faces criminal charges for trying to put their child in a better school, while demand for Pennsylvania’s new Opportunity Scholarship…

Media

Read More: PSBA Chooses Scores Over Kids

Health Care

Reps to Guv: Reject Medicaid Expansion

  • Nathan Benefield
  • September 5, 2012

In July, 45 members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives sent a letter to Gov. Corbett calling for him to opt out of the Medicaid expansion and the insurance…

Media

Read More: Reps to Guv: Reject Medicaid Expansion