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.”
Is Propaganda Good “Economic Development”?
Philadelphia Inquirer head honcho Brian Tierney has a response in the Wall Street Journal defending a state bailout of the Inky. The Wall Street Journal had previously…
Media
Read More: Is Propaganda Good “Economic Development”?Health Care
Health Care Policies and Small Business
The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council has a new report ranking states in terms of their health care policy, as it pertains to small business. Pennsylvania gets a fairly…
Media
Read More: Health Care Policies and Small BusinessHealth Care
Health Care Policies and Small Business
The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council has a new report ranking states in terms of their health care policy, as it pertains to small business. Pennsylvania gets a fairly…
Media
Read More: Health Care Policies and Small BusinessRegulation
Philadelphia’s Pension Non-Reform
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter is proposing addressing the city’s unfunded pension liability by, essentially, not paying as much as the city should (HT GrassrootsPA). Like Pennsylvania’s state…
Media
Read More: Philadelphia’s Pension Non-ReformTaxes & Economy
Feulner blast stimulus process
Heritage Foundation President Ed Feulner has a scathing open letter to Congress on the stimulus bill: In addition to being the single most expensive bill ever proposed,…
Media
Read More: Feulner blast stimulus processEducation
School Choice Yearbook
The Alliance for School Choice has released their 2008-09 School Choice Yearbook (click here for the news release). The yearbook profiles school choice programs in every state, the…
Media
Read More: School Choice YearbookTaxes & Economy
The Burden of PA Business Taxes
The Tribune Review has a story featuring Tax Foundation president Scott Hodge discussing Pennsylvania’s business tax climate at an appearance in Pittsburgh: The state needs…
Media
Read More: The Burden of PA Business TaxesEducation
School District Consolidation is a Red Herring
In the movie Men in Black, Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) carries a small device that flashes, allowing him to make people forget meeting him (or seeing aliens). Gov. Rendell…
Commentary
Read More: School District Consolidation is a Red HerringGovernment Accountability
Government on a Diet: Spending Tips 2009
Government on a Diet: Spending Tips 2009 identifies $5 billion in unhealthy state spending in FY 2008-09 and offers a series of recommendations to both resolve the current revenue shortfall…
Report
Read More: Government on a Diet: Spending Tips 2009Taxes & Economy
State Budget Shortfalls: Opportunity for Reform
The Tax Foundation has a new report (released yesterday) on state budget shortfalls. Their report concludes that overspending is largely the explanation for state shortfalls today. (Full report…
Media
Read More: State Budget Shortfalls: Opportunity for ReformGovernment Accountability
An end to cronyism in state government?
The Pennsylvania House GOP has unveiled several proposals to end “pay to play” – including cracking down on the ability of the administration to award of no-bid contracts. In…
Media
Read More: An end to cronyism in state government?Taxes & Economy
CF Budget Forum on PCN
If you missed todays lunch discussion with Sens. Jake Corman and Jay Costa on the Pennsylvania budget, it is set to air tomorrow at 1 pm on PCN, with…
Media
Read More: CF Budget Forum on PCNTaxes & Economy
CF Budget Forum on PCN
If you missed todays lunch discussion with Sens. Jake Corman and Jay Costa on the Pennsylvania budget, it is set to air tomorrow at 1 pm on PCN, with…
Media
Read More: CF Budget Forum on PCNTaxes & Economy
Tax and Spend Polices are Recipe for Disaster
My letter to the editor in the Post-Gazette: The state’s tax-and-spend policies are a recipe for disasterSharon Ward’s Jan. 28 Perspectives piece (“Keep…
Media
Read More: Tax and Spend Polices are Recipe for DisasterTaxes & Economy
The need to “do something”
Matt Lewis has an entertaining post on the need to “do something” with regard to the federal “stimulus” – comparing it to a 19th century doctor pressed to “do…
Media
Read More: The need to “do something”Taxes & Economy
More waste, no-bid contracts, in PA budget
Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner has a draft of an audit blasting the Rendell adminstration for its technology contracts, specifically with Deloitte, the Patriot News Reports.
Media
Read More: More waste, no-bid contracts, in PA budgetEducation
For-Profit Philadelphia Schools Show Gains
A new study by Paul Peterson and Matthew Chingos finds that the Philadelphia public schools contracted out to for-profit operators showed significant gains in student achievement. Specifically, the…
Media
Read More: For-Profit Philadelphia Schools Show GainsTaxes & Economy
How well has more spending worked up until now?
The Morning Call’s John Micek makes a joke on his blog about the effectiveness of tax cuts in stimulating the economy: Hardcore GOPers, asked for their alternative,…
Media
Read More: How well has more spending worked up until now?Taxes & Economy
With All Due Respect, Mr. Specter
“The country cannot afford not to take action,” Senator Arlen Specter writes in the Washington Post justifying support for the “stimulus” package, mimicking the statement by President Obama “There…
Media
Read More: With All Due Respect, Mr. SpecterGovernment Accountability
Pennsylvania Legislature’s growing girth
Robert Swift has a good article on the “professionalization” of the Pennsylvania legislature, including breaking down the cost of a legislator: At $78,314, the annual salary…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Legislature’s growing girthTaxes & Economy
How Government Created the Financial Crisis
John Taylor in the Wall Street Journal on how Government created the financial crisis: Monetary excesses were the main cause of the boom. The Fed held its…
Media
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