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.”

Taxes & Economy

Happy Bill of Rights Day

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 15, 2008

Today is the 318th anniversary of the ratification of the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights Institute has some resources, as does The Examiner.

Media

Read More: Happy Bill of Rights Day

State Budget

Earmarks Galore

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 13, 2008

Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn has a new report on the most outrageous examples of federal spending.  Some of the top examples, courtesy of the Center for Fiscal Accountability:…

Media

Read More: Earmarks Galore

Regulation

Pennsylvania school employees pension costs to quadruple in 4 years

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 12, 2008

The Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS) at their meeting today certified a small increase in the employers’ (re: taxpayers) contribution rate – from the current 4.76% to…

Media

Read More: Pennsylvania school employees pension costs to quadruple in 4 years

Taxes & Economy

Stop the Bailout of the States

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 12, 2008

ALEC has a new page opposing a federal taxpayer bailout of the state, including the letter from a coalition of groups. They currently collecting names of state legislators…

Media

Read More: Stop the Bailout of the States

Taxes & Economy

US Auto Sales by Manufacturer

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 12, 2008

I thought I’d post this data on US car sales (new car and light truck) by brand, since it took a while to find. The data is available at…

Media

Read More: US Auto Sales by Manufacturer

Taxes & Economy

Big 3 Bailout vs. Free Market Solution

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 11, 2008

In his blog today, John Micek offers some criticism of Mark Hendrickson’s commentary on the auto-makers bailout, which we ran today.  Micek points to the lack of “solutions”…

Media

Read More: Big 3 Bailout vs. Free Market Solution

Taxes & Economy

Cutting Taxes Better Stimulus than Government Spending

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 11, 2008

With all the push for more government spending (at both the state and federal level) to “stimulate the economy”, readers should take a look at new research highlighted…

Media

Read More: Cutting Taxes Better Stimulus than Government Spending

Regulation

Pennsylvania completes study of things to buy me for Christmas

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 10, 2008

OK, the study isn’t on things to buy me for Christmas, but the Joint State Government Commission completed a study on Violent Interactive Video Games.  Some of the games…

Media

Read More: Pennsylvania completes study of things to buy me for Christmas

Taxes & Economy

The auto bailout is a blood transfusion for a dying patient

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 10, 2008

David Leonhardt has a good article in the New York Times explaining why the “Big 3 Automakers” have higher labor costs than Honda, Toyota, et. al.  Greater fringe benefits…

Media

Read More: The auto bailout is a blood transfusion for a dying patient

Education

Failing Science

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 10, 2008

The Patriot News has a story on the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s news release that almost two-thirds of Pennsylvania’s 11th grade students are not proficient in science.  The…

Media

Read More: Failing Science

Regulation

Where to Find WAMs

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 9, 2008

I have gotten a couple of requests today for lists of WAMs and other recent spending. We put together a list of recent grants the Governor has awarded/announced in…

Media

Read More: Where to Find WAMs

Taxes & Economy

No tax increases

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 9, 2008

President Pro Tem (and now Pennsylvania Lt. Governor, though the former role has more relevance) Joe Scarnati has take a strong stance against any tax increase in the Pittsburgh…

Media

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Taxes & Economy

The Fallacy That Government Creates Jobs

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 9, 2008

Dan Mitchell of the Cato Institute has an excellent piece on the economic benefit of so-called fiscal “stimulus” In part, this is a debate about Keynesian economics, which is…

Media

Read More: The Fallacy That Government Creates Jobs

Government Accountability

78-Group Coalition Demands Greater Bailout Transparency

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 8, 2008

The Commonwealth Foundation has joined 77 other organizations in calling for greater transparency for taxpayers in the numerous bailouts being handed out with little oversight.  From the news release:…

Media

Read More: 78-Group Coalition Demands Greater Bailout Transparency

Health Care

The Trouble with Canadian Healthcare

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 8, 2008

Brett Skinner has an article in The American magazine on why “a single-payer system is probably the least effective way to achieve universal health insurance coverage.”…

Media

Read More: The Trouble with Canadian Healthcare

Government Accountability

Open government should save taxpayers, not cost them

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 6, 2008

The Tribune Review has a scathing editorial about Governor Rendell’s decision to charge citizens for the cost of retrieving open records about the government. In contrast, consider Texas,…

Media

Read More: Open government should save taxpayers, not cost them

Regulation

Rocky Balboa and the trouble with occupational licensing

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 5, 2008

The Moving Pictures Institute has put together the clip from Rocky Balboa in which Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) fights the Pennsylvania Athletic Commission for his right to box.

Media

Read More: Rocky Balboa and the trouble with occupational licensing

Regulation

Cigarette Taxes Encourage Smuggling

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 5, 2008

A new report from the Mackinac Center (full 99 page report here) estimates the effect of cigarette taxes on smuggling of cigarettes (both “commercial” and “casual” – i.e.

Media

Read More: Cigarette Taxes Encourage Smuggling

Taxes & Economy

Deficit spending, taxes, and economic stimulus

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 4, 2008

The latest Heritage Foundation WebMemo looks takes on the idea that “deficit spending” is a good stimulus for the economy, given the upcoming federal deficit is going to the…

Media

Read More: Deficit spending, taxes, and economic stimulus