Nathan Benefield
Senior Vice President
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.”
Regulation
Cost of Government Represents 61% of U.S. Income – Higher for Pennsylvania
Americans for Tax Reform has a new report on the Cost of Government, finding that Aug. 12 – day 224 of 2009 – is how long it takes Americans…
Media
Read More: Cost of Government Represents 61% of U.S. Income – Higher for Pennsylvania
Blog Roundup
Here are some recent citations, links, or mentions of the Commonwealth Foundation from Pennsylvania bloggers: PA WaterCooler notes the odds of getting laid off in the public vs. private…
Media
Read More: Blog RoundupState Budget
Putting Rendell’s Layoffs in Perspective
Yesterday, Gov. Rendell announced layoffs for 255 state workers at a press conference, and said more might be coming if lawmakers don’t pass a budget to Rendell’s liking. But…
Media
Read More: Putting Rendell’s Layoffs in PerspectiveHealth Care
Effect of ObamaCare on Pennsylvania
The Heritage Foundation has a new analysis from the Lewin Group on the impact in Pennsylvania on private health care coverage, the uninsured, and physicians and hospitals of the…
Media
Read More: Effect of ObamaCare on PennsylvaniaHealth Care
Rendell Declares Autism Mandate a Failure
In 2008, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed, and Gov. Rendell signed, a new mandate that private insurers would have to cover autism services. At the time, we said the new…
Media
Read More: Rendell Declares Autism Mandate a FailureEducation
School District Consolidation Shows Few Benefits
Last week, the Senate Education Committee held a hearing on proposed school district consolidation. The Allegheny Institute testified, noting that there is little evidence to suggest that consolidation (as…
Media
Read More: School District Consolidation Shows Few BenefitsState Budget
Cash for Clunkers Falls Prey to Laws of Economics
Congress’s ill-named “cash for clunkers” program has, like so many programs before it, failed to defy the laws of economics. As typically happens when government subsidizes something – the…
Media
Read More: Cash for Clunkers Falls Prey to Laws of EconomicsHealth Care
Join the “Mob”
You might find it interesting that the special interests who denounce individuals voicing opposition to ObamaCare as “astroturf,” a “mob,” and part of a vast right-wing conspiracy (and occasionally…
Media
Read More: Join the “Mob”Government Accountability
Dwight Evan’s Favorite WAM Recipient Has Plenty of Problems
The Philadelphia Inquirer exposes another nonprofit with ties to a state lawmaker – this time House Democrat Appropriations Chair Dwight Evans – whose use of tax dollars seems sketchy…
Media
Read More: Dwight Evan’s Favorite WAM Recipient Has Plenty of ProblemsHealth Care
Attacking the Messengers on Health Care Reform
President Obama, Dick Durbin, the unions, and shills at MSNBC have taken to calling protesters who disagree with their health care agenda as shills for corporate interests or “the…
Media
Read More: Attacking the Messengers on Health Care ReformHealth Care
Who I’m Going to Report for Spreading Misinformation about Health Care Reform
I’m sure by now everyone has seen the White House’s call for reporting anyone who is spreading “misinformation” or anything “fishy” about Obama’s proposed health care reform to…
Media
Read More: Who I’m Going to Report for Spreading Misinformation about Health Care ReformRegulation
Philadelphia Needs Neither Higher Taxes nor Generational Theft
The Pennsylvania House yesterday passed a bill that would allow Philadelphia to raise its sales tax another percentage point and to defer it pension payments for city employees further…
Media
Read More: Philadelphia Needs Neither Higher Taxes nor Generational TheftState Budget
Ed Rendell Demands More Taxes
At a press conference yesterday, Gov. Rendell says he will “compromise” on the budget – so long as he gets $1.6 billion in new revenue. That he, he needs…
Media
Read More: Ed Rendell Demands More TaxesState Budget
State of Pennsylvania has 5,000 Vacant Positions
In response to a recent question posed us – about how many actual workers vs. unfilled positions Gov. Rendell would have to eliminate when he talks about cutting state…
Media
Read More: State of Pennsylvania has 5,000 Vacant PositionsState Budget
What Do July Revenue Collections Mean?
The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue released the July 2009 revenue collections yesterday. The state collected $1.65 billion in General Fund revenue in July. Normally, this report would include how…
Media
Read More: What Do July Revenue Collections Mean?State Budget
States Have Only Themselves to Blame for Fiscal Mess
Steve Chapman writes on Reason.com that there’s nothing surprising about the crises in state budgets though it apparently caught many governors and legislators by surprise. States dramatically increased spending…
Media
Read More: States Have Only Themselves to Blame for Fiscal MessState Budget
What the #$#! is Going on with Pennsylvania Budget?
If you are following any of the proceedings on the Pennsylvania budget – such as #pabudget on Twitter – you will find a lot has changed with nothing really…
Media
Read More: What the #$#! is Going on with Pennsylvania Budget?Health Care
The Two Big Lies of Health Care “Reform”
Here are a couple of good readings on health care policy: The Hoover Institution has a “second opinion” with ten reasons why health care in the U.S. is…
Media
Read More: The Two Big Lies of Health Care “Reform”Taxes & Economy
Where Were These Guys a Few Months Ago?
At a recent town-hall meeting, Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said he had to ‘hold my nose’ over bailouts. I wish he had expressed some of those misgivings when…
Media
Read More: Where Were These Guys a Few Months Ago?Health Care
Reasons ObamaCare Is Wrong for America
The Heritage Foundation has, on their new health care website, the Top 10 Reasons Obamacare Is Wrong for America, starting with the fact that individuals would lose their current…
Media
Read More: Reasons ObamaCare Is Wrong for AmericaEducation
How States Can “Race to the Top” on Education Performance
The Wall Street Journal has an excellent editorial on education funding and performance, as well as the unions’ take on the “race to the top” initiative: All…
Media
Read More: How States Can “Race to the Top” on Education Performance