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.”
Government Accountability
Principles Worth Fighting For
Though I have watched Braveheart several dozen times, last weekend was the first time that the blood, violence, and men in kilts reminded me of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Unfortunately,…
Commentary
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Sowell on the Minimum Wage
Thomas Sowell on minimum wage laws, from Real Clear Politics: “Minimum wage laws play Russian roulette with people who need jobs and the work experience that will enable them…
Media
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Gaming board raking in fat paychecks
Even without slot machines up and running in Pennsylvania, there have already been some big winners from gambling – the Gaming Control Board. The Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice reports that…
Media
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Minimum wage reality check
Walter Williams in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on why he’s a “decent person” who wants to “help low-skilled workers” and yet opposes a minimum wage increase.
Media
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PA leads the nation in teacher strikes again
Patriot News coverage of teacher strikes data. In 2005, 65% of all teacher strikes occured in Pennsylvania – Pennsylvania school children felt the effects of 13 strikes, compared with…
Media
Read More: PA leads the nation in teacher strikes againRegulation
Federal pay, benefits double private sector’s
New data released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, summarized on GovExec.com, finds that the average pay and benefits for federal civilian workers was more than double that of…
Media
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New Hampshire’s 365-Day Sales Tax Holiday
While some states with surplus tax revenue are offering gimmicky “sales tax holidays,” New Hampshire has chosen the all-too-infrequenty policy of keeping taxes low. From The Tax Foundation.
Media
Read More: New Hampshire’s 365-Day Sales Tax HolidayGovernment Accountability
The Lieberman Lesson
New York Times analysis of the new partisan dynamics: “Traditional Democratic interest groups have steadily lost ground to a more partisan, progressive movement skilled at using the Internet to…
Media
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Cooling Off About Keeping Up
Robert Samuelson editorial in the Washington Post on how the US will not be able to continue to be as dominant in the global economy in every sector as…
Media
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Lobbyist disclosure first
Paul Carpenter editorial in The Morning Call on why we need a strong lobbyist and regulation and disclosure law before we consider shrinking the size of the General Assembly.
Media
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Ending the Lame Duck Session
Allentown Morning Call article on ending the lame duck session. Rep. Steil remarks that the lame duck session is needed because lawmakers don’t pass legislation while they’re campaigning for…
Media
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GIving Taxpayers a Voice?
With the new property tax “relief” law (Act 1 of the Special Session) each school district must have a “tax commission” examine any proposed tax increase, as reported in the…
Media
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Jesus and Taxes
Dimitri Vassilaros questions, in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, whether Jesus really endorsed the estate tax, higher income taxes, and raising the federal minimum wage.
Media
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Repealing the Federal Estate Tax
Facts about the estate tax from the Cato Institute.
Media
Read More: Repealing the Federal Estate TaxGovernment Accountability
General Assembly Too Big & Expensive
Editorial in the Press Enterprise Online on reducing the legislature. While they use figures from my testimony, they fail to note that the crux of our position is…
Media
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Reclaim government
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review editorial on shrinking and reforming state government, supporting “the Commonwealth Foundation’s commonsense solutions“.
Media
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Calculator for Property Tax Relief/Increase
The Pennsylvania Coalition of Taxpayers has created a calculator to determine how much relief, or how much of a tax increase you will get under the new property…
Media
Read More: Calculator for Property Tax Relief/IncreaseGovernment Accountability
Swann on Reform
Gubernatorial candidate Lynn Swann’s response to a survey on government reform, compiled by Democracy Rising PA, with comments from the Commonwealth Foundation.
Media
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Veon draws cheers, but not for his travel
Ruth Ann Dailey column in today’s Post-Gazette on pork, legislator travel and perks, and open records. Think-tanks and reform groups such as the Commonwealth Foundation, Common Cause and Democracy…
Media
Read More: Veon draws cheers, but not for his travelGovernment Accountability
Rendell on Reform
Governor Rendell’s response to a survey on government reform, compiled Democracy Rising PA, with comments from the Commonwealth Foundation.
Media
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Does Size Matter?
If you prefer audio podcast to the text version, you can listen to my testimony on reducing the size of the General Assembly. (Note: the file is 2MB…
Media
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