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.”
Education
School Choice Benefits Ohio Public Schools
A new study from the Friedman Foundation finds that Ohio’s EdChoice voucher program – offering scholarships to students in failing schools – resulted in academic improvements in voucher-eligible public…
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Protect Our Kids from Preschool
Shikha Dalmia and Lisa Snell have a an editorial in the Wall Street Journal about the merits of universal preschool: In the last half-century, U.S. preschool attendance…
Media
Read More: Protect Our Kids from PreschoolRegulation
Rendell: “Pennsylvania’s economy is awesome, thanks to me”
Hat Tip to Tony Phryillas for this story I almost missed – Governor Rendell attacked the Allegheny Institute for pointing out that Pennsylvania’s exorbitant economic development spending…
Media
Read More: Rendell: “Pennsylvania’s economy is awesome, thanks to me”Taxes & Economy
In praise of compromise
The May edition of The Freeman has a creat commentary on Compromise, Principles, and Politics. Essentially the piece makes the point that “compromise” (or “bipartisanship”) in politics is akin to…
Media
Read More: In praise of compromiseGovernment Accountability
California Lawmaker Kicked Out of Capitol
From The Club For Growth blog: Democratic leaders in the California legislature kicked Assemblywoman Nicole Parra out of the Capitol building because she didn’t…
Media
Read More: California Lawmaker Kicked Out of CapitolGovernment Accountability
Missouri study of merit selection of judges
One topic that came up in our luncheon on a state Constitutional Convention was merit selection of judges (we also held a luncheon on that topic earlier this…
Media
Read More: Missouri study of merit selection of judgesGovernment Accountability
Is Pennsylvania Ready for a Constitutional Convention?
Video from yesterday’s luncheon on Reviving Reform: Is it Time for a Constitutional Convention? featuring Sen. Jeff Piccola and Rep. Rosemarie Swanger is now available on our YouTube…
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Read More: Is Pennsylvania Ready for a Constitutional Convention?Education
Phix PHEAA
Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner has released his audit of PHEAA, recommending among other things that PHEAA’s board not be dominated by legislators (news release here). Wagner does…
Media
Read More: Phix PHEAATaxes & Economy
Tax Foundation’s CompeteUSA has great info on business taxes
The Tax Foundation launched a new website, CompeteUSA, that has a lot of fact about corporate taxes in the US (including that PA has the 2nd highest combined…
Media
Read More: Tax Foundation’s CompeteUSA has great info on business taxesGovernment Accountability
Reform doesn’t mean suing to get candidates off the ballot
Last month, as part of the bonusgate indictments, PA House Democratic representatives and staffers were accused of illegally using taxpayer money to challenge petitions and effectively get Ralph Nader off…
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Read More: Reform doesn’t mean suing to get candidates off the ballotGovernment Accountability
Pennsylvania not only state looking at Constitutional Convention
Today’s Policies and Principles Luncheon will focus discuss whether Pennsylvania needs to hold a Constitutional Convention (see also Sen. Piccola’s commentary on the need for a Convention on…
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Turnpike Commission looking for private firms to finish projects
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission – which has fought hard against allowing an “evil, for profit company” lease the Turnpike – is looking concessionaires to finish the Mon Fayette/Southern Beltway…
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Read More: Turnpike Commission looking for private firms to finish projectsHealth Care
How free is PA’s health care market?
The Pacific Research Institute released their U.S. Index of Health Ownership, 2008 last week (full report in PDF). The report ranks states’ health care markets and regulations based…
Media
Read More: How free is PA’s health care market?Taxes & Economy
Five Ways to Wreck a Recovery
Amity Shlaes offers lessons from Hoover and FDR on how to extend a recession and make it worse (hint: do the opposite): 1) Give in to protectionism2) Blame…
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Voices of school choice … and how to get involved
The REACH Foundation has a new “Voices of School Choice” profile on its website. This one is about Katie, who writes about how the choice of going to cyber…
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Read More: Voices of school choice … and how to get involvedTaxes & Economy
I-80 plan relies on traffic growth, while drivers are driving less
Congressman Peterson, the lead critic of tolling I-80, makes an astute observation: the Turnpike Commission’s financial model relies on I-80 traffic growing 2.5% annually. Yet a recent…
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Read More: I-80 plan relies on traffic growth, while drivers are driving lessTaxes & Economy
Silly Senator, Corn is for Food!
ReasonTV video looks at the ethanol craze: Ethanol, especially the corn-based variety, is bad for taxpayers, bad for consumers, bad for the environment, and horrible for the world’s…
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Read More: Silly Senator, Corn is for Food!Taxes & Economy
Only 40 states have a better business climate than Pennsylvania
Forbes has issued its latest report on “The Best States for Business“. Pennsylvania ranks 41st. (Click here for the table). Amazingly, despite Governor Rendell’s “investments” in our…
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Read More: Only 40 states have a better business climate than PennsylvaniaTaxes & Economy
Are corporations dodging taxes?
The AP had a story yesterday headlined, “Most companies in US avoid federal income taxes” (full study). Governor Rendell frequently makes this claim as well, when defending Pennsylvania’s…
Media
Read More: Are corporations dodging taxes?Health Care
Reduce the number of uninsured 25% – for free
A new study by University of Minnesota researchers finds that a simply policy change would reduce the number of uninsured by 25 to 33 percent (Greg Scandlen has a…
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Read More: Reduce the number of uninsured 25% – for freeTaxes & Economy
Texas Is Fed Up With Corn Ethanol
Texas Governor Rick Perry in the Wall Street Journal on why the EPA needs to suspend the mandate to produce more ethanol – which is, according to Perry and…
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