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.”
Pennsylvania’s economic climate gets another bleak ranking
The Beacon Hill Institute has issued a new report on state economic competitiveness. Not surprising, Pennsylvania ranks poorly – 39th out of the fifty states. You can find the…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania’s economic climate gets another bleak rankingGovernment Accountability
PA Lawmakers, Executives, Judges Get Pay Raise
Patriot News story on the 2.8% cost of living increase that Pennsylvania lawmakers will get beginning Dec. 1, and state judges and executive branch officials will get the raise…
Media
Read More: PA Lawmakers, Executives, Judges Get Pay RaisePublic Union Democracy
Ending secret ballot elections: Change you can believe in?
Rick Berman of the Center for Union Facts writes in the DC Examiner that the first priority of the Obama Administration may well be outlawing secret ballots…
Media
Read More: Ending secret ballot elections: Change you can believe in?Taxes & Economy
Latest on automakers bailout
The Center for Fiscal Accountability has a letter opposing a bailout of automakers, joining NTU, which sent out their own letter. Alan Reynolds poses the question of…
Media
Read More: Latest on automakers bailoutRegulation
States Don’t Need a Bailout
Steven Malanga of the Manhattan Institute has an excellent editorial in the Wall Street Journal covering all the major topics of why states overspend – creating or…
Media
Read More: States Don’t Need a BailoutTaxes & Economy
Do you support limited government?
Jay P. Greene explains why anyone who believes in limited government and free markets should support the Commonwealth Foundation. Not directly, of course, but his conclusion is that…
Media
Read More: Do you support limited government?Taxes & Economy
Don’t bail out out our state!
The Commonwealth Foundation has joined with 58 other groups (led by the NTU) sending a letter to Congress on why a bailout of state and local governments…
Media
Read More: Don’t bail out out our state!Regulation
How far will smoking bans go?
A new ReasonTV video, Just Can’t Quit, looks at government’s addiction to smoking bans. California became the first state to ban smoking in bars a decade…
Media
Read More: How far will smoking bans go?Taxes & Economy
No UAW Bailout
IBD Editorials writes that a bailout of the automakers is a misguided idea, aimed only at protecting their current union contracts (which are largely to blame for their…
Media
Read More: No UAW BailoutTaxes & Economy
Bush defends Free Market (and Big Government)
In a speech to the Manhattan Institute, President Bush defends the free market. Let me parse what I consider to be the key paragraph: History has…
Media
Read More: Bush defends Free Market (and Big Government)Government Accountability
Full-Time Legislators still not the norm
The National Council of State Legislatures has some new data on occupations of state legislators. Here in Pennsylvania, 77.5% reported their occupation as “full-time legislator” (even though PA…
Media
Read More: Full-Time Legislators still not the normTaxes & Economy
Trashing Friedman’s Economics
Crain's Chicago Business speculates that “failure of the free market” and “deregulation” will harm the reputation of the University of Chicago's School of Economics and of any influenced by…
Media
Read More: Trashing Friedman’s Economics
Pennsylvania Senate GOP has Turnpike Lease Study
An analysis of potential Turnpike lease by Moody’s, commissioned the the PA Senate Transportation Committee, was released yesterday. Their findings are that a Turnpike lease might be beneficial, that…
Media
Read More: Pennsylvania Senate GOP has Turnpike Lease StudyGovernment Accountability
Prizes for bloggers, citizen activists, video producers, and more
Our friends at the Sam Adams Alliance have something called The Sammies awards (with cash prizes) to encourage bloggers and citizens to get involved in political action. Here…
Media
Read More: Prizes for bloggers, citizen activists, video producers, and moreEducation
Charter schools produce graduates, cost less
Jay P. Greene’s blog points to a couple of recent studies on charter schools. The first one (link to full study here) shows that charter schools in Florida…
Media
Read More: Charter schools produce graduates, cost less
Turnpike Commission Cutting Work Force
Following traffic and revenue declines, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission announced it will be reducing its staff size starting with a “voluntary departure program”, with layoffs to be next. Curiously,…
Media
Read More: Turnpike Commission Cutting Work ForceGovernment Accountability
Free-market internship, jobs, and grant opportunities
Some good opportunities to earn money working for liberty for college students, recent graduates and young professionals, and young journalists to pass along:Charles G. Koch Summer Fellow…
Media
Read More: Free-market internship, jobs, and grant opportunitiesGovernment Accountability
Shed a little light on your government
ShowMeTheSpending.com, a project of the National Taxpayers Union (with a coalition of groups) has relaunched as a wiki (like Wikipedia) as part of the Sunshine Review…
Media
Read More: Shed a little light on your governmentGovernment Accountability
Corruption and Potential for Reform in State Contracts
Chris Freind has a five part series in The Bulletin on conflicts of interest, corruption, and the inability to get reforms passed in how state contracts are awarded. The…
Media
Read More: Corruption and Potential for Reform in State ContractsTaxes & Economy
RINO Season Is Now Open
Ted Nugent declares “RINOs” fair game in a poignant piece on Human Events There are really only four things I have a strong aversion to: unloaded guns,…
Media
Read More: RINO Season Is Now OpenPublic Union Democracy
Which Obama Will Be President?
Will an Obama presidency bring a lurch to the political Left in America? This is of great concern for those of us who believe that our prosperity and security do…
Commentary
Read More: Which Obama Will Be President?