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.”

Government Accountability

State Office Deal Highlights Rendell’s Cronyism

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 5, 2010

The Pittsburgh Tribune Review has a story about the state paying to lease office space, even though they’ve closed the office. But the more interesting part of the is…

Media

Read More: State Office Deal Highlights Rendell’s Cronyism

Taxes & Economy

Who are the Tea Partiers?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 4, 2010

The Sam Adams Alliance has a new report out presenting findings from a survey of 50 “tea party movement” leaders. Among the more interesting findings 46.9 percent were uninvolved…

Media

Read More: Who are the Tea Partiers?

Taxes & Economy

About 25% of Highway Fund Doesn’t go to Highways

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 3, 2010

Robert Poole has a Washington Times article on how federal gas tax money in the “highway fund” is often diverted to other political purposes. Today, the federal role…

Media

Read More: About 25% of Highway Fund Doesn’t go to Highways

Public Union Democracy

Teacher Unions Bankrupting the State

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 3, 2010

The pension crisis has been looming large throughout the state, yet pension reform proposals in Pennsylvania have been met with protests by school employees unions. The Pottstown…

Media

Read More: Teacher Unions Bankrupting the State

Regulation

Rendell’s Pension “Fix” Merely Delays Costs

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 2, 2010

With his 2010-11 budget, Gov. Rendell got around to addressing the looming pension crisis. However, his proposed “fix” – re-amortizing the liabilities over 30 years, then phasing in the…

Media

Read More: Rendell’s Pension “Fix” Merely Delays Costs

Taxes & Economy

Transportation Industry Misleads on I-80 Tolling

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 1, 2010

A couple of recent editorials in favor of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s plan to toll I-80 – both by transportation industry insiders – gives some misleading info. Peter Javsicas of…

Media

Read More: Transportation Industry Misleads on I-80 Tolling

State Budget

Tax Foundation Analysis of Rendell’s Tax Proposals

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 26, 2010

Joe Henchman of the Tax Foundation has put together a Fical Fact looking at Gov. Rendell’s tax increases in the proposed Pennsylvania state budget. Here is the quick overview:…

Media

Read More: Tax Foundation Analysis of Rendell’s Tax Proposals

Taxes & Economy

NTU Congressional Ratings for Pennsylvania

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 26, 2010

The National Taxpayers Union released their annual Congressional report card (for votes in 2009). Here are the votes they rated. NTU’s rating is based on “every roll call…

Media

Read More: NTU Congressional Ratings for Pennsylvania

Government Accountability

Who’s Blogging About CF?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 25, 2010

Here are some recent updates from various blogs mentioning Commonwealth Foundation, or giving us some good linkage: Redstate notes our call for an independent investigation into Penn State professor…

Media

Read More: Who’s Blogging About CF?

Regulation

Property Tax Relief Not as Awesome as Rendell Says

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 25, 2010

Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner put out another report that should embarrass the Rendell administration, this one one the claimed benefits of property tax relief. (Full report in…

Media

Read More: Property Tax Relief Not as Awesome as Rendell Says

Taxes & Economy

How Dumb is the Jobs Bill?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 23, 2010

So the logic behind Stimulus 3, or the so-called “jobs bill” is that the first stimulus (the Bush stimulus of 2008, predicated largely on tax rebates) worked so well the…

Media

Read More: How Dumb is the Jobs Bill?

Regulation

The Trillion Dollar (and then some) Pension Gap

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 23, 2010

The Pew Report on state pensions, finding a $1 trillion unfunded liability nationally, has already received a great deal of attention, so here are just some brief highlights for…

Media

Read More: The Trillion Dollar (and then some) Pension Gap

Government Accountability

PA Lawmakers Use Per Diems to Buy Houses

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 22, 2010

I have often remarked that the exorbitant costs of Pennsylvania legislators’ per diems (see Tribune Review and ABC 27 stories) – that they receive to pay for food…

Media

Read More: PA Lawmakers Use Per Diems to Buy Houses

Government Accountability

Lower Legislative Pay = Better Government

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 22, 2010

A new study of state legislative pay and party competition in the American Political Science Review, finds that, in addition to greater party competition, modest pay for legislators leads…

Media

Read More: Lower Legislative Pay = Better Government

Taxes & Economy

Did the Stimulus Raise Unemployment?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 22, 2010

Alan Reynolds takes a nuanced approach to where stimulus funding went, and why it didn’t “create jobs” or increase GDP, and probably increased unemployment: [T]he GDP report clearly…

Media

Read More: Did the Stimulus Raise Unemployment?

Regulation

Pension Obligation Bonds: Worst Idea Ever

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 21, 2010

Rick Dreyfuss has a new article for the Mackinac Center in Michigan, where lawmakers are floating the idea of Pension Obligation Bonds to help fill their pension gap.  Of…

Media

Read More: Pension Obligation Bonds: Worst Idea Ever

State Budget

Will the PA “Cost Cutting Commission” Cut Costs?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 21, 2010

The Pennsylvania Senate’s new Cost Study Commission met for the first time on Friday, discussing the cost of the state fleet – which currently maintains 16,000 vehicles, half of…

Media

Read More: Will the PA “Cost Cutting Commission” Cut Costs?

Criminal Justice Reform

New PA Task Force on Prison Spending

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 19, 2010

Following testimony that inmates might riot if the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections didn’t a funding increase, the state House Appropriations Committee decided to create a task force to…

Media

Read More: New PA Task Force on Prison Spending

Government Accountability

Where has PA Stimulus Money Gone?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • February 19, 2010

I’ve gotten a couple requests for information on where Pennsylvania’s stimulus money has gone. The Pennsylvania stimulus site is here. …

Media

Read More: Where has PA Stimulus Money Gone?