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.”

State Budget

Yes, We Really Do Mistrust Lawmakers

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 22, 2009

Gerald Prante of the Tax Foundation raises a philosophical question about state spending limits. Namely he wonders, if we don’t trust how legislators spend money now – a…

Media

Read More: Yes, We Really Do Mistrust Lawmakers

Government Accountability

Auditor General Says No-Bid Contracts are Costing State Taxpayers

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 21, 2009

Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner issued a scathing rebuke of the Rendell administration’s use of no-bid contracts, specifically in relation to over a half-billion dollars given to Deloitte for…

Media

Read More: Auditor General Says No-Bid Contracts are Costing State Taxpayers

Taxes & Economy

ACORN Sting in Philadelphia

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 21, 2009

BigGovernment.com has released their video from Philadelphia’s ACORN office from July 24. As in other videos, ACORN Philadelphia provided advice to the fake pimp and prostitute for what sort…

Media

Read More: ACORN Sting in Philadelphia

State Budget

PA Business Survey: Bad Budget Deal

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 21, 2009

The Lincoln Institute released its Fall Business Climate Survey for Pennsylvania (mostly surveying small business owners). Click here for results and here for a summary of findings. Not…

Media

Read More: PA Business Survey: Bad Budget Deal

Government Accountability

Common Sense on Legislative Size

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 20, 2009

Paul Jacob’s latest “Common Sense” deals with the size of the Pennsylvania Legislature.  Jacob advises: [D]on’t cut the size of the legislature. But by all means cut the…

Media

Read More: Common Sense on Legislative Size

Public Union Democracy

Political Power of Public Sector Unions

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 20, 2009

The Weekly Standard has a good piece on the growing political power of public sector unions, with a short history lesson, and many of the consequences (e.g.

Media

Read More: Political Power of Public Sector Unions

Taxes & Economy

Map of State and Local Sales Tax Rates

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 19, 2009

The Tax Foundation has a new map showing sales tax rates by state – including both the state rate and the average local rate. With the local included, Pennsylvania…

Media

Read More: Map of State and Local Sales Tax Rates

Health Care

Health Care “Facts” Disputed

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 19, 2009

Michael Cannon and Ramesh Ponnuru have an editorial challenging the assertions of Obama on health care.  The article came out a few weeks ago, and specifically cites claims made…

Media

Read More: Health Care “Facts” Disputed

State Budget

Facts About Spending Limits from Colorado

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 16, 2009

Voters in Maine will have the opportunity to vote on a referendum limiting state spending and tax increases. The Maine Heritage Policy Center released a new paper offering…

Media

Read More: Facts About Spending Limits from Colorado

Taxes & Economy

Job Losses in Pennsylvania Counties

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 16, 2009

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released data on county employment and wages today.  It is a little dated (March 2009) relative to national data, but does offer a profile…

Media

Read More: Job Losses in Pennsylvania Counties

Health Care

Canadians Speak Out Against Government-Run Health Care

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 16, 2009

Our friends at the Mackinac Center have a series of videos on Canadian health care with regular Canadians discussing the problems with government-run health coverage.  (HT to Carpe…

Media

Read More: Canadians Speak Out Against Government-Run Health Care

State Budget

Did PA Really Need Higher Taxes?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 15, 2009

Yesterday, blogger for the Time Herald/State Senator Daylin Leach attacked ATR’s no-tax pledge and Sen. Orie for signing it a few years ago before voting to increase taxes…

Media

Read More: Did PA Really Need Higher Taxes?

Regulation

Pensions and Skyrocketing Taxes

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 14, 2009

Ethan Demme has a good synopsis of the coming crisis in state and local pensions in Pennnsylvania, and why this will drive up taxes, from the RE Harper Economic…

Media

Read More: Pensions and Skyrocketing Taxes

Taxes & Economy

New Study Highlights Flaws in I-80 Tolling Plan

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 13, 2009

A new study on the impact of tolling I-80 in Pennsylvania by Grove City College economist Tracy Miller highlights several flaws in the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s plan to toll…

Media

Read More: New Study Highlights Flaws in I-80 Tolling Plan

Government Accountability

Wither Spending Transparency in PA?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 13, 2009

Over the past few years, and throughout the state budget debate, the Commonwealth Foundation and other state and national groups have called for state…

Media

Read More: Wither Spending Transparency in PA?

Health Care

Competition in Health Care would Lower Costs

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 12, 2009

A report by Dr. Sven Larson from the Center for Freedom and Prosperity Foundation examines policies to remove government barriers and restore competition to the market for individual…

Media

Read More: Competition in Health Care would Lower Costs

Taxes & Economy

Breakdown of State and Local Government Tax Revenues

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 12, 2009

The Tax Foundation has a new report profiling the percentage of state and local government tax revenues by source for each state.  Here is how Pennsylvania compares (getting a…

Media

Read More: Breakdown of State and Local Government Tax Revenues

Regulation

Washington Post Highlights Pension Crisis

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 12, 2009

The Washington Post ran an article Sunday on how market losses have put state and local government pension plans seriously in the red.  The article makes mention of the…

Media

Read More: Washington Post Highlights Pension Crisis

Government Accountability

Pennsylvanians Divided by Soda

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 10, 2009

Pennsylvanians seem divided by geography on a key debate.  No, not the state budget, or national health care (well, those too), but on whether it should be called ‘Soda’, or…

Media

Read More: Pennsylvanians Divided by Soda

Education

Is Preschool for All a Good Idea?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 9, 2009

Chester Finn of the Fordham Foundation has a good article in the latest Education Next on the movement for “preschool for all.” Finn is generally supportive of government…

Media

Read More: Is Preschool for All a Good Idea?