Nathan Benefield

Nathan Benefield

Chief Policy Officer

Nathan (Nate) Benefield is the Chief Policy Officer 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 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.”

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

Taxes & Economy

Governors Against State Bailouts

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 3, 2008

While Governor Rendell and others state executives are asking for taxpayers to bail them out (see related article in The Bulletin) but want to pass the buck…

Media

Read More: Governors Against State Bailouts

State Budget

Pennsylvania budget shortfall grows to $658 million

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 2, 2008

The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue has released the November Revenue Collections, showing the state General Fund collections now $658 million below estimate.

Media

Read More: Pennsylvania budget shortfall grows to $658 million

Taxes & Economy

Is Greenspan to blame for the financial crisis?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 2, 2008

Over at the Cato Institute, there seems to be some disagreement over to what extent Alan Greenspan and the Federal Reserve contributed to the present financial “crisis”. Some…

Media

Read More: Is Greenspan to blame for the financial crisis?

Taxes & Economy

Stimulus Follies

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 1, 2008

OpenMarket.org has a good post on the failure of “stimulus” packages (i.e. government spending) to improve the overall economy.

Media

Read More: Stimulus Follies

Taxes & Economy

County Commissioner: “Listen to the Commonwealth Foundation”

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 1, 2008

“The governor and legislators should seriously consider the reports from the Commonwealth Foundation which provided information on how Harrisburg could address the state’s financial situation” That quote comes from Fayette…

Media

Read More: County Commissioner: “Listen to the Commonwealth Foundation”

Taxes & Economy

What happened to the Great Depression II?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 1, 2008

Carpe Diem points out that holiday retail sales were up over the weekend from last year. Yet the CNN Money article with the same chart contains more of…

Media

Read More: What happened to the Great Depression II?

Regulation

Pennsylvania Pension Now Faces Billions in Losses

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 1, 2008

The Wall Street Journal has an article on Pennsylvania’s state employee’s pension fund, and its market losses. Noting that “Pennsylvania invested more in hedge funds than any other state…

Media

Read More: Pennsylvania Pension Now Faces Billions in Losses

Regulation

Spreading wealth to Hollywood

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 28, 2008

Cross Posted at Capitol Domes   Giving handouts to Hollywood has become an en vogue method for state governments to stimulate economic growth. According to the Heartland…

Media

Read More: Spreading wealth to Hollywood

Regulation

Renewing the Call for Pension Refom

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 26, 2008

Deb Erdley has a story in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on pension funds for public school employees and state workers, in light of a PSBA plan for reform, recent losses…

Media

Read More: Renewing the Call for Pension Refom

Public Union Democracy

PA Congressional Delegation Ratings on Worker Freedom

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 26, 2008

The Alliance for Worker Freedom has their new scorecard on the 2nd session of the 110th Congress.  Key votes include a number of expansion of Davis-Bacon prevailing wage laws…

Media

Read More: PA Congressional Delegation Ratings on Worker Freedom

Regulation

The Corporate Welfare Mentality

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 26, 2008

Team 4 Pittsburgh has a well-done, but disturbing, story and video on why government bureaucrats hand out “economic development” grants to companies. Usually, government officials claim that taxpayer “investments”…

Media

Read More: The Corporate Welfare Mentality

Taxes & Economy

Bailouts cost more than WWII, 10 times cost of New Deal

  • Nathan Benefield
  • November 25, 2008

A friend passed along this blog post looking at the cost of recent bailouts compared to the inflation-adjusted cost of other major government expenditures: If we add in…

Media

Read More: Bailouts cost more than WWII, 10 times cost of New Deal