Leslie is hoping to obtain a piece of land for free so she can turn it into a park. Ron taunts Leslie about her $0 bid for the land because typically people expect money in exchange for goods and services. This can be a good illustration of the medium of exchange function of money, but can also lead to a deeper discussion of externalities.
See more: capitalism, exchange, medium of exchange, money, transactions
Leslie tries obtaining a large parcel of local land to build a park in honor of the history of Pawnee. When the group arrives at JJ’s Diner, they learn that the diner will be shutting down because of a new owner. Leslie discusses the growth that Pawnee has been experiencing, but laments the loss of some of Pawnee’s charm.
See more: development, gentrification, growth, monopolistic competition, standard of living
Leslie is upset after a recent speech she gave in London, but Ron is there to help. Ron invites Leslie outside for a pep talk so she can get some fresh air. As a staunch libertarian, Ron isn’t too fond of the foul stench of European Socialism. Ron is not a big fan of his trip to London and has trouble adjusting to the differences between the two countries.
See more: comparative systems, Europe, libertarianism, market based economies, socialism
Ben and Leslie need rings for their wedding, but can’t seem to find acceptable ones around town. Ron offers to make the rings for them and describe how easy the process was for him, despite not being all that easy at all. Ron believes that people who buy things are suckers.
See more: comparative advantage, gains from trade, markets, mutually beneficial transactions, specialization, trade
Ron owes a large settlement, but keeps his money stored in the form of gold and palladium. While the rest of the office thinks this is a really neat idea, they question whether he knows how much money he actually has since it’s not stored in paper money. Ron is confident in the weight of his money, but not its value.
See more: commodity money, fiat money, medium of exchange, monetary policy, money, store of value, unit of account
The Animal Control Department in Pawnee is pretty inept. Their role in the government serves a purpose, but they aren’t doing a very good job. It’s possible a private enterprise (like a pest control service) could be more effective, but its cheaper to staff a few employees to do the same work.
Thanks to an anonymous submitted for the clip!
See more: government, incentives, principle agent problem, private incentives, shirking, social incentives
Ron and Leslie get into a debate about people’s right to determine how they treat their own bodies. Leslie shows up to his dinner where Ron announces he’s eating a Turf’n’Turf and will consumer an entire cigar. Ron is a firm believe that people should be allowed to do what they want with their bodies and shouldn’t be controlled by the government.
Thanks to an anonymous submitter for the clip!
See more: choice architect, choices, free market, health economics, private benefits, social costs, tradeoffs
In a tight battle for City Council, Leslie approaches the President of the Pawnee Senior Citizens with a plan to place wheelchair ramps on every city building to make it easier for elderly citizens to get around. Bobby Newport announces a very similar plan, but instead of ramps, they propose adding chair lifts to each building. Both are pandering to the elderly vote with essentially the same program.
Thanks to an anonymous submitter for the clip!
See more: government programs, government spending, median voter theory, product differentiation, rent seeking
After Sweet-Ums tries stocking the local parks with their sugar-loaded protein bars, Leslie and Ann try holding a town forum to persuade citizens to vote against this decision. Ron isn’t happy with this directive because he is a firm believe in people having the right to consumer whatever they want and that the government should not interfere in that decision.
Thanks to an anonymous submitter for the clip!
See more: choice architect, choices, free market, government intervention, health economics, negative externalities, obesity, role of government
Leslie shares her opinion that a vendor at the farmers’ market has a crude display, and cites this as a reason to kick them out. Some citizens argue that government should not play an active role in dictating norms in society, but Leslie feels that’s the part of the government’s responsibility. This could be argued from a public choice perspective or as the role of government in correcting externalities.
See more: command and control, externalities, government regulation, negative externalities, normative statements, role of government, social costs
Economics of Parks & Recreation 