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
Has More Money Improved School District Performance?
A recent study by the 21st Century Partnership for STEM Education (STEM is short for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, which is a good cause to use an acronym)…
Media
Read More: Has More Money Improved School District Performance?Education
PSBA’s Web of Lies on School Vouchers
The Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA), in a desperate attempt to preserve the status quo in education, has launched a new portal, VoucherWatch. Of the many pieces of misinformation…
Media
Read More: PSBA’s Web of Lies on School VouchersRegulation
Sony Site: Merely Renting Jobs with Corporate Welfare
Last week, the state gave $10 million to rehabilitate the former site of a Sony plant—marking the fourth time taxpayer funding has been used to “create jobs” at the exact…
Media
Read More: Sony Site: Merely Renting Jobs with Corporate WelfareRegulation
Fixing Rendell’s Mess
Penn's Woods are darker and deeper in red ink than ever before thanks to the tax-borrow-and-spend agenda of the Rendell Administration and some General Assembly members who failed to put…
Commentary
Read More: Fixing Rendell’s MessTaxes & Economy
UC Trust Fund Interest Another Fiscal Challenge for PA
A recent NY Times piece looks at the impact of states’ borrowing to pay their unemployment compensation (UC), now that the federal government will begin charging interest on these…
Media
Read More: UC Trust Fund Interest Another Fiscal Challenge for PAEducation
What the PHEAA is Going On?
The Patriot News reports that former Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) boss Michael Hershock got $200,000 in a settlement over his 2009 firing. To recap, he was fired…
Media
Read More: What the PHEAA is Going On?State Budget
Medicaid: Breaking the Back of State Budgets
Last week, 30 Republican governors and governors-elect, including Tom Corbett, sent a letter to the Obama administration and members of Congress asking for greater flexibility in managing their Medicaid…
Media
Read More: Medicaid: Breaking the Back of State BudgetsTaxes & Economy
Residents Still Moving out of PA
The latest United Van Lines survey continues to show Pennsylvania is a “high outbound state”—meaning more people are renting trucks to move out of Pennsylvania than moving in (HT…
Media
Read More: Residents Still Moving out of PAEducation
Success Makes School Choice Take Top Priority
Senators Jeffrey Piccola and Anthony Williams announced The Opportunity Scholarship Act, which expands school choice in Pennsylvania by creating a voucher program for low-income students and increases the state’s…
Media
Read More: Success Makes School Choice Take Top PriorityRegulation
Liquor Store Union Distorts Facts to Skew Poll
We received a forwarded email, in which the United Food & Commercial Workers Local 1776 (the union for liquor store employees) called on members to vote in a PCN…
Media
Read More: Liquor Store Union Distorts Facts to Skew PollRegulation
Joel Klein Gets the Public Pension Problem
Joel Klein has an excellent article on teacher pensions in today’s Wall Street Journal: Whether the investment returns are there or not, defined-benefit pensions require the government to…
Media
Read More: Joel Klein Gets the Public Pension ProblemRegulation
TastyKake: Continued Failure of Corporate Welfare
PA Independent reports that TastyKake, a corporation with operations in Philadelphia and Chester County, may have to liquidate. This despite a $32 million low-interest state loan (which is looking…
Media
Read More: TastyKake: Continued Failure of Corporate WelfareGovernment Accountability
Top Five CF Research Articles of 2010
Based on website visits, here are the five most popular research articles produced by the Commonwealth Foundation in the past year: #5: A Taxpayer’s Budget 2010: Responsible Spending for Pennsylvania…
Media
Read More: Top Five CF Research Articles of 2010Government Accountability
Top Five PolicyBlog Posts of 2010
Based on reader visits, here are our five most popular PolicyBlog posts over the past year: #5: 2010 SAT Scores by State The College Board has released the results of…
Media
Read More: Top Five PolicyBlog Posts of 2010Taxes & Economy
Marcellus Shale Job Creation Continues
A recent Williamsport Sun-Gazette article gives props to the natural gas industry for being an economic boost, and keeping unemployment relatively low in Bradford County, a central hub for…
Media
Read More: Marcellus Shale Job Creation ContinuesEducation
Report: School Choice Could Save PA Tax Dollars
The Foundation for Educational Choice has a new analysis out, suggesting that the federal “Race to the Top” (RTTP) funding from the stimulus bill should be used to…
Media
Read More: Report: School Choice Could Save PA Tax DollarsGovernment Accountability
Philadelphia is Number 1 “Judical Hellhole” in US
Philadelphia has been named the number one “judicial hellhole” in a new ranking by the American Tort Reform Association. Philadelphia is a source of great concern due…
Media
Read More: Philadelphia is Number 1 “Judical Hellhole” in USRegulation
How Many State Liquor Stores Should Pennsylvania Have?
Ben Waxman of the Philadelphia Daily News raises an interesting question about liquor privatization. Noting public support for liquor privatization, he posits whether it would be better to…
Media
Read More: How Many State Liquor Stores Should Pennsylvania Have?State Budget
Why PA State Debt is “So Low”?
Yesterday, during his mid-year budget briefing, Gov. Rendell repeated his claims that Pennsylvania state debt is pretty low, less than $1,000 per resident, and much lower (relative to state GDP)…
Media
Read More: Why PA State Debt is “So Low”?Education
PA School Districts Creating Online Options in Response to Cyber Schools
As reported in the Valley News Dispatch, Pennsylvania school districts continue to add online options in response to students leaving for public cyber schools. Two things to…
Media
Read More: PA School Districts Creating Online Options in Response to Cyber SchoolsState Budget
The Pot of Debt at the End of Rendell’s Rainbow
These days it's hard enough for Pennsylvania families to think about meeting their obligations let alone piling on more debt. But that's exactly what outgoing Gov. Ed Rendell did this…
Commentary
Read More: The Pot of Debt at the End of Rendell’s Rainbow