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.”
Should Government be Required to Advertise in Newspapers?
We were recently asked to sign onto a letter opposing HB 633, legislation which would allow local governments to post public notices online, rather than buy advertisements in local…
Media
Read More: Should Government be Required to Advertise in Newspapers?Education
On School Spending “Cuts”
A reader writes in, noting that a school board member is pushing the “stop the billion dollar cut” campaign, and asking for some info. Here are some quick facts.
Media
Read More: On School Spending “Cuts”Taxes & Economy
What Does “Fair Share” Mean?
The debate over adding an additional tax (or an impact fee) on top of the…
Media
Read More: What Does “Fair Share” Mean?Regulation
A Half-Billion Saved is a Half-Billion Earned
After April’s General Fund tax collections came in at 9 percent above forecasts, some lawmakers are clamoring to spend any surplus Pennsylvania has at the end of the…
Media
Read More: A Half-Billion Saved is a Half-Billion EarnedEducation
Property Taxpayer Referendum
Good afternoon. I am Nathan Benefield, Director of Policy Research for the Commonwealth Foundation. We are a nonprofit, independent public policy research and educational institute based in Harrisburg. I would…
Testimony
Read More: Property Taxpayer ReferendumTaxes & Economy
Fact-Checking on Natural Gas Taxes in PA
Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center’s new report alleging the natural gas industry doesn’t pay taxes goes beyond misleading readers to using inaccurate information in order to jeer support for a…
Media
Read More: Fact-Checking on Natural Gas Taxes in PAEducation
Understanding Real vs. “Sticker Price” Tuition
A common misconception in debating higher education funding is that the posted rate of tuition, or “sticker price,” is what students actually pay. This is exemplified in a commentary…
Media
Read More: Understanding Real vs. “Sticker Price” TuitionEducation
School Choice Advancing in Indiana, Tennessee
While the Pennsylvania Senate continues to deliberate on Senate Bill 1, school choice is moving along in several other states as well. Last…
Media
Read More: School Choice Advancing in Indiana, TennesseeEducation
Taxpayers Can Double their “Return on Investment” on Higher Ed
Penn State’s provost Rodney Erickson tries to undercut Michael Poliakoff & Charles Mitchell in a recent op-ed. His concluding argument is that “out of every $1 invested in…
Media
Read More: Taxpayers Can Double their “Return on Investment” on Higher EdEducation
Union Think Tank Continues Assault on School Choice
The union-backed Keystone Research Center (KRC) released a so-called study of Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC). Not surprisingly, this study is an attack against tax credits for private…
Media
Read More: Union Think Tank Continues Assault on School ChoiceEducation
School Choice Bill Introduced in PA House
While the debate over SB 1 continues over in the Pennsylvania Senate, Rep. Tom Quigley has introduced HB 1330 in the other chamber. HB 1330 would expand the Educational…
Media
Read More: School Choice Bill Introduced in PA HouseRegulation
Booze Boss Bio Baffles Board
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board called our offices to let us know we were misinformed when we noted that PLCB Chairman Joe Conti co-sponsored legislation to privatize the liquor stores…
Media
Read More: Booze Boss Bio Baffles BoardEducation
School Choice and Polling
Yesterday, a slew of acronym organizations who want more taxpayer funding for public schools released yet another survey they commissioned trying to undermine school choice. (This survey contradicts previous polls…
Media
Read More: School Choice and PollingEducation
“Progressive” Group Posing as Tea Party Lobbying Against School Choice
Tom Murse recently investigated the group behind the “NoVoucherTax” web, radio and TV ads. While the ads convey an anti-tax message, mimicking a Tea Party group, the group responsible is…
Media
Read More: “Progressive” Group Posing as Tea Party Lobbying Against School ChoiceRegulation
Exposing the State Store Myth on Facebook?
One of my friends sends me this [names redacted]: So one of my facebook friends just turned 21, and this is her Facebook status right now: just bought my…
Media
Read More: Exposing the State Store Myth on Facebook?Education
The Myth of Taxpayer Subsidies for Lower Tuition
CF’s Charles Mitchell sat down with Inside Academia‘s Andy Nash to discuss the false choice between higher tuition or higher taxpayer subsidies for universities. Watch the video:…
Media
Read More: The Myth of Taxpayer Subsidies for Lower TuitionEducation
Public Policy and Free Enterprise in Pennsylvania
Public Policy and Free Enterprise in Pennsylvania represents a partnership with the Commonwealth Foundation and the department of economics at Duquesne University. Key findings in these five papers include Over…
Commentary
Read More: Public Policy and Free Enterprise in PennsylvaniaEducation
A higher education in greed
My letter to the editor on university subsidies in Sunday’s Pittsburgh Tribune Review: University presidents and lobbyists for state-funded universities, such as the University of Pittsburgh and…
Media
Read More: A higher education in greedEducation
Talking School Choice with Dick Armey
This week, CF Senior Fellow Jeff Coleman sat down with Dick Armey, former congressman and U.S. House Majority Leader and now Chairman of FreedomWorks, to talk about…
Media
Read More: Talking School Choice with Dick ArmeyRegulation
On Pennsylvania’s Job Growth
Former Gov. Ed Rendell emerged from his semi-retirement to toot his own horn, saying his spending is why Pennsylvania’s economy is so great. Rendell cites statistics that Pennsylvania ranks…
Media
Read More: On Pennsylvania’s Job Growth
Obamacare: We Can’t Keep the Change
In the days before the new health care law passed Congress last year, then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi famously said that we would "have to pass the bill to find out…
Commentary
Read More: Obamacare: We Can’t Keep the Change