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.”
Education
School Vouchers are Improving Education in Milwaukee
Summary by National Center for Policy Analysis of a article in the New York Times.
Media
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Raising Pennsylvania’s Minimum Wage Will Result in Job Loss
News release from Employment Policies Institute on PA minimum wage. Raising Pennsylvania’s Minimum Wage Will Result in Job Loss for Low-SkilledEarned Income Tax Credit a Better Way…
Media
Read More: Raising Pennsylvania’s Minimum Wage Will Result in Job LossEducation
Cyberschools have districts edgy
Times-Tribune article on the growth of Pennsylvanias’ Cyberschools. The bottom line: students do better when parents are able to choose which school is best for them.
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Rendell’s pay not “real money”
From CapitolWire: Rendell’s pay not “real money”…For those of you who haven’t heard just how much Gov. Ed Rendell travels in upper-bracket circles these days, he was…
Media
Read More: Rendell’s pay not “real money”Taxes & Economy
State Revenue Boom Paves Way for Tax Cuts
An analysis by the Cato Institute of tax revenue and rates for all 50 states ranks Pennsylvania as a “state in need of tax cuts.” This is based on…
Media
Read More: State Revenue Boom Paves Way for Tax CutsRegulation
Pay no attention to the coming crisis.
In an Alfred E Neuman-esque “What, me worry?” Council 13 of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees claims there is no future pension problem in Pennsylvania. “…
Media
Read More: Pay no attention to the coming crisis.State Budget
The Rendell Budget: Would Your Family Spend Money Like This?
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania had a good tax year – that is, in government collection terms. General Fund revenues will exceed expectations this year by a projected $353 million. But…
Commentary
Read More: The Rendell Budget: Would Your Family Spend Money Like This?Regulation
Raw Deal for the People of Pennsylvania
More coverage of our pension study in the Beaver County Times/Allegheny Times.
Media
Read More: Raw Deal for the People of PennsylvaniaState Budget
The Myth of Spending Cuts for the Poor, Tax Cuts for the Rich
Fascinating analysis by the Heritage Foundation on how the Bush administration – attacked by critics for “cutting spending for the poor while cutting taxes for the rich” – has…
Media
Read More: The Myth of Spending Cuts for the Poor, Tax Cuts for the RichEducation
How schools lock themselves into raising taxes
Article on USATODAY.com explores how health care and other benefits promised to public teachers’ unions will cost school districts a fortune over the coming years. Anyone who thinks…
Media
Read More: How schools lock themselves into raising taxesRegulation
The War goes on with no end in sight
The war on Wal-Mart, that is. Now Wal-Mart is under orders from Massachusetts to sell “morning-after” pills. It seems that in not stocking the notorious morning-after pill, Wal-Mart was…
Media
Read More: The War goes on with no end in sightPublic Union Democracy
“Don’t be talkin’ bad about me” protest
Teachers’ union rally to protest “20/20” piece (John Stossel’s “Stupid in America,” which details how unions have stood in way of school reform) will occur on March 8.
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Rendell the Benevolent Job Creator
You may have heard Governor Rendell’s 2006-07 Budget Address, in which he once again touted his role in “creating jobs”. By using selected statistics, crediting any job growth in…
Media
Read More: Rendell the Benevolent Job CreatorGovernment Accountability
How a Bill Becomes a Law … PA style
In an effort to settle a dispute between some shareholders of Philly-based Sovereign Bank, as reported by the Patriot News, some “ghost voting” ocurred in the Senate. The bill,…
Media
Read More: How a Bill Becomes a Law … PA styleTaxes & Economy
Absurd logic used to support minimum wage
Yet another example of the limitless rhetoric used to support a minimum wage increase. This time, Rep. Josephs calls out other female legislators, demanding that they support a minimum…
Media
Read More: Absurd logic used to support minimum wageTaxes & Economy
Spend more now, raises taxes later
The Cato Institute’s Chris Edwards reports that many states (like maybe Pennsylvania) are following the same mistakes of the late 90s in Busting the State Tax-Revenue Boom. When state…
Media
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Mid-Term Grades
Liberty Index coverage in the Post-Gazette suggests some lawmakers may need to stay “after class”.
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How to reduce property taxes
An Americans for Tax Reform study on property tax reform in New Jersey and Massachusetts. While New Jersey attempted to reduce property taxes by creating an income tax with…
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Read More: How to reduce property taxesTaxes & Economy
Taxing telecommuters
New study from the The Tax Foundation on how New York, Pennsylvania, and two oather states attempt to penalize telecommuters who choose not to live there. However, rather than…
Media
Read More: Taxing telecommutersTaxes & Economy
The Politics of Ever-Expanding Government
A quality essay by Steven Malanga on how the recipients of increased government spending support increased government spending. Taxpayers are footing the bill for lobbying by by governments and…
Media
Read More: The Politics of Ever-Expanding GovernmentEducation
A government big enough to give you everything you want …
There is a theory (articulate in a piece by Mark Bauerlein) that left-wing academics are engrossed in large scale group think, that when large numbers of the radical left…
Media
Read More: A government big enough to give you everything you want …