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.”

Government Accountability

Agreed: Public Resources Should not be used for Politics

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 6, 2014

“Public resources are not supposed to be used for partisan political purposes.” So says Barry Kauffman of Common Cause PA in a Tribune Review article. What Mr. Kauffman…

Media

Read More: Agreed: Public Resources Should not be used for Politics

Education

A Note on Philadelphia School Spending

  • Nathan Benefield
  • August 4, 2014

Last week, we released a summary of spending, enrollment and staffing trends in the Philadelphia School District over the past decade. After this release,…

Media

Read More: A Note on Philadelphia School Spending

Education

PSEA Spokesman Wins the Pinocchio Award

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 29, 2014

Readers of PolicyBlog already know that Pennsylvania education spending is at a record high, that state funding to school districts for…

Media

Read More: PSEA Spokesman Wins the Pinocchio Award

Public Union Democracy

Union Dues Fund SuperPAC Spending Binge

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 23, 2014

A new $2 million political TV ad campaign represents the first foray of “SuperPAC” spending into Pennsylvania. And taxpayers are forced to pay for this political spending. As…

Media

Read More: Union Dues Fund SuperPAC Spending Binge

Regulation

Downgrade Detrimental to Taxpayers

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 22, 2014

For the third time in two years, a major bond rating agency gave Pennsylvania a downgrade. The most recent downgrade, courtesy of Moody’s, has real implications for taxpayers. Moody’s…

Media

Read More: Downgrade Detrimental to Taxpayers

Education

Is There a Pension Crisis?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 18, 2014

PolicyBlog readers will be well-familiar with the fact that Pennsyvlania state funding for public schools is at a record high.  So why do government union leaders and some…

Media

Read More: Is There a Pension Crisis?

Public Union Democracy

Teachers Unions Putting More Dues Money into Politics

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 15, 2014

While union leadership continues to repeat the myth that union dues cannot be used for politics, the latest newsletter from the Pennsylvania State Education Assocation again reveals, in small…

Media

Read More: Teachers Unions Putting More Dues Money into Politics

Education

State Education Spending at Record High

  • Nathan Benefield
  • July 8, 2014

The recently passed Pennsylvania state budget sets a new record for state funding for public schools. The chart below illustrates this growth over the years. The total budgeted for the…

Media

Read More: State Education Spending at Record High

Public Union Democracy

Taxpayer Collection of Union Political Money is Unique

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 30, 2014

Paycheck protection opponents claim that other groups, like charities and insurance companies, are allowed to use taxpayer resources for their deductions, just like government unions. But are all paycheck deductions…

Media

Read More: Taxpayer Collection of Union Political Money is Unique

Regulation

Union CEO Calls Majority Leader a Liar

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 27, 2014

Union CEO Wendell Young issued a press release Wednesday claiming, “there’s no nice way to put this but he [House Majority Leader Mike Turzai] is not telling the truth…

Media

Read More: Union CEO Calls Majority Leader a Liar

Public Union Democracy

What You Need to Know About the Paycheck Protection Bills

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 26, 2014

Taking a strong stand for taxpayers, the House and Senate State Government Committees passed paycheck protection legislation this week. Both committees amended original versions of their respective paycheck protection bills.

Media

Read More: What You Need to Know About the Paycheck Protection Bills

State Budget

House Budget Holds the Line on Taxes

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 25, 2014

Yesterday, the PA House of Representatives advanced a $29.1 billion spending bill. This bill could be voted on by the full House today. There is much to like in this…

Media

Read More: House Budget Holds the Line on Taxes

Government Accountability

The Real Cost of Paycheck Protection

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 24, 2014

Critics of paycheck protection claim that the practice of our government deducting union dues and campaign contributions from workers’ paychecks “only costs $100.” That’s based on a letter from Treasurer…

Media

Read More: The Real Cost of Paycheck Protection

Public Union Democracy

Mailbag: How will SuperPACs Affect Pennsylvania?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 20, 2014

A PolicyBlog reader asked if we could explain a recent “SuperPAC” ruling we covered in an op-ed back in April, along with its implications for state and national elections.

Media

Read More: Mailbag: How will SuperPACs Affect Pennsylvania?

Public Union Democracy

End Teacher Bullying with Paycheck Protection

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 18, 2014

As most PolicyBlog readers already know, union dues are being used for political action. Moreover, taxpayer resources are used to collect both union dues and union campaign contributions. We at…

Media

Read More: End Teacher Bullying with Paycheck Protection

Education

Union Leaders’ Lobbying Hurts Teachers, Students

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 16, 2014

Last week we highlighted a California judge who ruled that laws enforcing teacher seniority and tenure were unconstitutional and violated students’ rights to a quality education. But here in…

Media

Read More: Union Leaders’ Lobbying Hurts Teachers, Students

Regulation

Union Lobbyists Not Interested in Solving Pension Crisis

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 13, 2014

My latest letter to the editor in the Phoenix Reporter and Item corrects the record, noting that government union leaders have for years denied a pension crisis, supported underfunded pensions for…

Media

Read More: Union Lobbyists Not Interested in Solving Pension Crisis

Public Union Democracy

The Government Union Billion Dollar Tax Hike

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 11, 2014

In 2012, Americans paid more in taxes than they did for food, clothing and shelter combined. In Pennsylvania, residents labor under the 10th highest tax burden in the…

Media

Read More: The Government Union Billion Dollar Tax Hike

Education

Students Win over Seniority Laws

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 11, 2014

Big news out of California, where a state judge struck down that state’s teacher seniority and tenure laws. The lawsuit was filed by 9 students who believed that…

Media

Read More: Students Win over Seniority Laws

Public Union Democracy

Union Leaders Lie to Lawmakers

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 6, 2014

While public school teachers, taxpayer advocates and business leaders supporting paycheck protection answered pointed questions yesterday from lawmakers, government union executives refused to attend the House…

Media

Read More: Union Leaders Lie to Lawmakers

Education

Pension Reform Benefits Teachers & Taxpayers

  • Nathan Benefield
  • May 30, 2014

Standard & Poor’s recently issued a stern warning that they would lower Pennsylvania’s bond rating—making it more expensive for the state to borrow money—unless they “adopt meaningful pension reform.” This…

Commentary

Read More: Pension Reform Benefits Teachers & Taxpayers