Nathan Benefield
Chief Policy Officer
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.”
Education
School Choice: The ABC’s
In time for National School Choice Week, the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice released its 2012 ABC’s of School Choice. The new guide gives an overview of what…
Media
Read More: School Choice: The ABC’sCriminal Justice Reform
Fiscal Outlook for Pennsylvania: Not Too Rosy
This week the new Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office held its first annual seminar on the state economy and revenue. After a series of presentations on the state of the…
Media
Read More: Fiscal Outlook for Pennsylvania: Not Too RosyState Budget
Turnpike Commission Defends Ballooning Debt
Following our post yesterday, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission wanted to make sure we saw their response to Auditor General Jack Wagner’s warning on their growing debt. The Turnpike…
Media
Read More: Turnpike Commission Defends Ballooning DebtTaxes & Economy
Chart of the Day: Pennsylvania Transportation Spending
Many advocates and industry representatives have been calling for increasing transportation spending in Pennsylvania. Yet over the past 16 years, state transportation spending has increased by 127 percent, a fact…
Media
Read More: Chart of the Day: Pennsylvania Transportation SpendingState Budget
Pennsylvania Budget Freezes in Perspective
Yesterday, Gov. Corbett and the Office of the Budget released a list of 2011-12 budgetary freezes—reductions in spending from the enacted General Fund budget—due in part to revenue shortfalls. I…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Budget Freezes in PerspectiveGovernment Accountability
Top 10 Posts of 2011
For your “year in review” pleasure, here are the most popular CF articles and research papers of 2011, based on readership: Citizens Guide to Electric Choice and Competition…
Media
Read More: Top 10 Posts of 2011Taxes & Economy
PA Online Sales Tax Guidelines Claim First Casualty
When the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue issued a new bulletin instructing online vendors about collecting state sales tax, tax reform advocates expressed a lot of concern. The new…
Media
Read More: PA Online Sales Tax Guidelines Claim First CasualtyTaxes & Economy
Tax-Exempt Government Property Adds to Harrisburg’s Woes
The city of Harrisburg is facing a fiscal crisis primarily brought on by over-spending, accruing too much debt, and getting into areas government has no business—from the incinerator to owning…
Media
Read More: Tax-Exempt Government Property Adds to Harrisburg’s WoesTaxes & Economy
Map: PA Among Highest Unemployment Tax Rates
The Tax Foundation has a new map showing unemployment insurance tax rates. As you can see, Pennsylvania has one of the highest tax rates in the nation. The unemployment…
Media
Read More: Map: PA Among Highest Unemployment Tax RatesGovernment Accountability
Redistricting Reform Needed…Four Years Ago
The Pennsylvania House is expected this week to to pass the Congressional redistricting bill. House Democrats, in the minority, are complaining about the gerrymandering of the new map.
Media
Read More: Redistricting Reform Needed…Four Years AgoRegulation
Time to End Borrowing for Corporate Welfare
The Pa. House is expected to vote this week on SB 1054, legislation to authorize $1.66 billion in state borrowing for the “capital budget.” The annual cost of this…
Media
Read More: Time to End Borrowing for Corporate WelfareRegulation
Pennsylvania Pols Pass Potent Potables Perestroika
Today, the Pennsylvania House amended HB 11 and then sent it on to the full house for consideration. The first amendment guts any privatization of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Pols Pass Potent Potables PerestroikaEducation
Patriot News (Mostly) Endorses School Choice
This week, the Patriot News editorial board wrote an endorsement of a school voucher proposal in Pennsylvania. Here is the key pro argument: The case for vouchers is…
Media
Read More: Patriot News (Mostly) Endorses School ChoiceEducation
School Choice in Pa. is Cure for Disaster
An excellent commentary by Jeanne Allen in the Delaware County Times sums up the case for school choice and the empirical evidence: Pennsylvania’s neighbors have led by example…
Media
Read More: School Choice in Pa. is Cure for DisasterEducation
Four of Five Philadelphia Students Not Proficient in Reading or Math
Yesterday, the National Center for Education Statistics (part of the U.S. Department of Education) released district perfomance data on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). This is part…
Media
Read More: Four of Five Philadelphia Students Not Proficient in Reading or MathEducation
Are School Vouchers Constitutional in Pennsylvania?
Several attacks on school choice claim that using state funds for vouchers that might go to private schools is unconstitutional. Here are some facts and legal analysis on that issue.
Media
Read More: Are School Vouchers Constitutional in Pennsylvania?Education
Chart of the Day: Public School Enrollment vs Staff
One of the drivers of education spending is an increase in staff sizes while enrollment has declined. Data from the PA Department of Education indicates that from 1999-2000 to…
Media
Read More: Chart of the Day: Public School Enrollment vs StaffTaxes & Economy
Chart of the Day: Shale Growth Fuels Tax Growth
We noted previously how the boom from Marcellus Shale natural gas has fueled a dramatic increase in state corporate tax collections. Pennsylvania Department of Revenue data also show a…
Media
Read More: Chart of the Day: Shale Growth Fuels Tax GrowthRegulation
PLCB is $30 Million in the Hole
As Jay noted earlier, Auditor General Jack Wagner and a number of defenders of the current government monopoly argue that the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) is a great…
Media
Read More: PLCB is $30 Million in the HoleEducation
Improving Public Education…Through School Choice
Here is a letter to the editor I submitted to the Pocono Record, correcting the record on school choice: Your editorial, “Support your public schools” bashes school choice…
Media
Read More: Improving Public Education…Through School ChoiceRegulation
Green Fiascoes and Boondoggles
Economist Mark Hendrickson, a member of CF’s Council of Scholars, looks at the failure of government funded “green energy” projects in his latest column for the Center for Vision…
Media
Read More: Green Fiascoes and Boondoggles