Nathan Benefield

Headshot

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.”

Op-Ed: PA Gov. Attacks Lawmakers’ Sensible Election Reforms

Nathan Benefield
June 25, 2021

Wolf is also ignoring new polling from Franklin & Marshall College, which shows that Pennsylvania voters believe election reform is necessary. Among voters polled, 81% favor signature matching for mail-in ballots…

Commentary

Op-Ed: With $7 billion windfall, Pa. should focus on jobs, students

Nathan Benefield
June 21, 2021

With this budget, lawmakers should enact policies that help our citizens find work and ensure that every kid has access to a high-quality education.

Commentary

Op-Ed: Fight Against PA Guv’s Powers Reflects Bipartisan Trend

Nathan Benefield
April 15, 2021

The Pennsylvania General Assembly’s efforts to restrict Wolf’s emergency declaration – renewed four times – has reached its endgame in the form of two constitutional amendments in a statewide voter…

Commentary

Op-Ed: Voters can limit the power of the governor on May 18

Nathan Benefield
March 29, 2021

Pennsylvanians can’t allow Wolf to wield such powers over our communities without working alongside the Legislature.

Commentary

Op-Ed: Pennsylvania Doesn’t Have a Friend in Tom Wolf

Nathan Benefield
February 22, 2021

As Pennsylvanians suffer under Wolf’s leadership, they will have a chance to force the governor to work with the legislature. This May, voters will get a say on a state…

Commentary

Op-Ed: Ignore Wolf’s small business tax hike. Pass a budget that cares for kids and communities

Nathan Benefield
February 9, 2021

From small businesses to education, the General Assembly should enact policies that challenge Wolf’s harmful ideas. His policy agenda would leave a legacy of more government spending, higher unemployment, and…

Commentary

State Budget

Three Takeaways on Gov. Wolf’s 2021 Budget

Nathan Benefield
February 3, 2021

Our commonwealth faces a structural budget deficit. Families need education lifelines to get back on track. Small businesses need regulatory and tax relief to stay afloat. Patients need more options to access care.

Commentary

Op-Ed: Pennsylvania Will Reflect Voter Mood During Biden Presidency

Nathan Benefield
January 25, 2021

In other words, suburban voters favor moderation – as the election results showed. But despite his campaign persona, Biden may already be inching closer to leftist economic policies. As Axios…

Commentary

Op-Ed: Pennsylvania Passes the Buck on State Budget

Nathan Benefield
December 7, 2020

Wolf and the legislature didn’t consider these eventualities when they completed the budget. Instead, during this bleak holiday season, they set up struggling families for a bigger tax bill next…

Commentary

Taxes & Economy

Crucial Reforms Needed in End-of-Year Budget

Nathan Benefield
November 19, 2020

The recently completed state budget will dig Pennsylvania into a deep hole. Lawmakers passed a 7.5% increase in spending. The General Fund budget, including billions in one-time federal funds, is $36.54 billion—up from $33.98 billion last…

Media

Op-Ed: Don’t raise taxes while PA families are hurting

Nathan Benefield
November 16, 2020

Months into this severe pandemic response, the economy is slowly recovering, as are state revenues, but lawmakers face a budget shortfall of at least $3 billion, according to the Independent Fiscal Office’s…

Commentary

Op-Ed: Learning from Pennsylvania’s Election Chaos

Nathan Benefield
November 6, 2020

We shouldn’t rely on courts to fix Pennsylvania’s election issues. Instead, changes to election timelines and processes should be enacted by the state legislature, not through executive actions or court…

Commentary

Op-Ed: The Tax Bill Benefitted All Pennsylvanians. Will that Matter on Election Day?

Nathan Benefield
October 23, 2020

To be sure, these numbers preceded the COVID-19 pandemic and economic lockdowns, which devastated job growth and earnings. Pennsylvania hit its lowest unemployment rate ever in 2019, but then skyrocketed to…

Commentary

Op-Ed: Now is the time to rebuild Pennsylvania

Nathan Benefield
September 28, 2020

By passing these ambitious, though necessary, reforms to help Pennsylvania rebuild its economy, lawmakers can start bridging the gap between what the people need and what government is focused on.

Commentary

Op-Ed: Transparency Victory a Call to Action for Lawmakers

Nathan Benefield
August 18, 2020

Wolf’s pattern of lawlessness must be stopped—and lawmakers’ transparency victory could be the turning point that reins him in. …

Commentary

While Nobody was looking, Harrisburg quietly spent $26 billion

Nathan Benefield
August 13, 2020

Government institutions have gotten more than their fair share. Now it’s time to support parents who paid out-of-pocket for several months for their children’s education, on top of the tax…

Commentary

A Responsible State Budget? Only in Your Dreams

Nathan Benefield
July 27, 2020

We can spend our money smarter through sound policy, and we can make hard budgeting decisions easier for lawmakers by placing real limits on spending.

Commentary

Healthcare

Questions for Gov. Wolf

Nathan Benefield
July 15, 2020

Gov. Wolf is proposing additional restrictions on businesses across Pennsylvania because of a rise in the number of new COVID cases. Here is a list of questions for Gov.

Commentary

Government Accountability

Pa?s unemployment rate down in May, but still at near-record levels

Nathan Benefield
June 22, 2020

More than 13% of Pennsylvania workers were officially unemployed in May, according to U.S. Department of Labor data released Friday. That’s an improvement from April’s record-setting 15.1% unemployment rate, but still the second highest rate…

Media

Pa. Legislature Votes to End Gov. Wolf’s COVID Disaster Declaration

Michael Torres, Nathan Benefield
June 9, 2020

June 9, 2020, Harrisburg, Pa. — Today, the Pa. Legislature passed a resolution (HR 836) to end Gov. Tom Wolf’s COVID-19 disaster declaration with bi-partisan majorities in both chambers.

Press Release