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.”
Health Care
Is Individual Mandate Worse than “Public Option”?
Cato’s Michael Cannon has a commentary on the effects of an individual mandate to buy health insurance. His poster child is chief spokesman critic of Obama’s health care proposals,…
Media
Read More: Is Individual Mandate Worse than “Public Option”?State Budget
Call to Action: Budget Must Keep PA Competitive
The Pennsylvania Prosperity Project has a new action alert on the Pennsylvania budget, with a form to contact your legislators and ask lawmakers to “focus on making Pennsylvania competitive…
Media
Read More: Call to Action: Budget Must Keep PA CompetitiveHealth Care
What’s Wrong with Medicare
Defenders of national health care proposals try to make the claim – in response to critics – that government-run health care is pretty good, citing Medicare (and Medicaid). So what’s…
Media
Read More: What’s Wrong with MedicareGovernment Accountability
Baby Boomers Dominate in State Legislatures
Interesting, if trivial analysis from NCSL on the age of state legislators. Only 4% of legislators nationally are under age 34. They also have a tool with demographic…
Media
Read More: Baby Boomers Dominate in State LegislaturesRegulation
Philadelphia Sales Tax Increase Bad for Business and for Pennsylvania
Chris Freind writes on how the proposed increase of Philadelphia’s sales tax from 7% to 8% (6% state rate, local rate to double from 1 to 2%) will harm…
Media
Read More: Philadelphia Sales Tax Increase Bad for Business and for PennsylvaniaEducation
2009 SAT Scores by State
EDITORS NOTE: Click here for the 2014 SAT Scores by state The College Board has released data on 2009 SAT Scores. I’ve compiled the data into a spreadsheet of…
Media
Read More: 2009 SAT Scores by StateEducation
School District Makes Due Without Tax Hike
ABC 27 has a story about East Pennsboro School District – the first stop on Gov. Rendell’s bus tour – using fiscal restraint, not higher taxes, to deal…
Media
Read More: School District Makes Due Without Tax HikeHealth Care
Medicare’s Administrative Costs vs. Private Insurance
One of the myths is that Medicare has lower administrative costs than private insurance, and thus is the model for efficient health coverage. (This was an argument made by a…
Media
Read More: Medicare’s Administrative Costs vs. Private InsuranceTaxes & Economy
Should Existing Interstate Highways Be Tolled?
Interesting question posed by National Journal on tolling of existing freeways, with particular focus on tolling I-80 in Pennsylvania, offering several experts the opportunity to respond. Pennsylvania Congressman Glenn…
Media
Read More: Should Existing Interstate Highways Be Tolled?
High Speed Rail Proposal Just Another Way to Waste Taxpayer Dollars
The Patriot News highlights Pennsylvania’s latest request of $28.2 million for high-speed rail projects from the federal stimulus. Here is our recent commentary by Randal O’Toole on…
Media
Read More: High Speed Rail Proposal Just Another Way to Waste Taxpayer DollarsHealth Care
ObamaCare Is Bad Medicine for Pennsylvania
America faces divergent prescriptions for health care reform—one calling for more government control, the other for patient empowerment. Unfortunately President Obama, Governor Rendell, and Democrats in Congress and…
Commentary
Read More: ObamaCare Is Bad Medicine for PennsylvaniaTaxes & Economy
Pennsylvania Sales Tax Exemptions
There has been some discussion lately about filling the Pennsylvania budget hole with additional revenue by expanding the state sales tax to include currently exempt goods, services, or categories.
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Sales Tax ExemptionsRegulation
What Happens When There is No Funding for Corporate Welfare?
Gov. Rendell has noted on many occasions that without large state “economic development” grant programs, Pennsylvania’s economy would tank. He has argued that the Senate budget, which would eliminate many…
Media
Read More: What Happens When There is No Funding for Corporate Welfare?Health Care
Explaining the Town-Hall Protests
John Goodman – the health care policy guru, not the star of Arachnophobia – has an editorial in Friday’s Wall Street Journal on those protesting Obama’s version of health…
Media
Read More: Explaining the Town-Hall ProtestsState Budget
Is Cash for Clunkers the Dumbest Government Program Ever?
Chris Edwards of Cato suggests “Cash for Clunkers” is the dumbest government program of all time: A few billion dollars worth of wealth was destroyed. About 750,000…
Media
Read More: Is Cash for Clunkers the Dumbest Government Program Ever?Public Union Democracy
Address the Spending Side on Road Funding First
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation issued a statement responding to our blog post that explains state transportation spending has increased 121% since 1995, more than triple the rate…
Media
Read More: Address the Spending Side on Road Funding FirstHealth Care
Post-Gazette Combats Health Care “Lies” With Actual Lies
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist Sally Kalson has a ridiculous piece on health care reform (HT PA Watercooler), in which she admittedly fabricates a number of proposals she “imagines” Republicans would…
Media
Read More: Post-Gazette Combats Health Care “Lies” With Actual LiesTaxes & Economy
Auditor General Finds More Waste and Fraud in Pennsylvania Welfare
A new report from Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner finds that the Special Allowances program in the Department of Public Welfare is “rife with mismanagement and potential for fraud.” …
Media
Read More: Auditor General Finds More Waste and Fraud in Pennsylvania Welfare
Who is Blogging about CF?
Lots of love from the Blogosphere about Commonwealth Foundation studies, events, are blog posts this week: Tony Phyrillas writes about the high level of debt in Pennsylvania state…
Media
Read More: Who is Blogging about CF?Education
Fact-Checking Gov. Rendell and Bill Cosby
This afternoon. Gov. Ed Rendell, school superintendents, and Bill Cosby held a press conference on improvement in Pennsylvania test scores, and calling for funding increases. Unfortunately, they got a number…
Media
Read More: Fact-Checking Gov. Rendell and Bill Cosby
Buses from Pennsylvania for 9/12 March on Washington
Here is some info of buses being coordinate from various parts of Pennsylvania for the 9/12 March on Washington: The 9/12 Project PA has lists of a…
Media
Read More: Buses from Pennsylvania for 9/12 March on Washington