Ben and Leslie propose a solution to solving the budget crises, but accidentally suggest that all D1 employees (low-level) should be terminated. Because there is a limited amount of funds available in the city budget, any money moving to one department must come at the expense of another department.
See more: federal budget, government spending, opportunity costs, rationing, scarcity, tradeoffs, unintended consequences
Leslie asks a city councilor to not cut the Parks budget 8% and to find the money somewhere else. The counselor decides to propose shutting down the local animal shelter in exchange. Because funding is scarce in the local government, the city councilors have to cut funding in one area to save another department.
See more: budgets, federal budget, government spending, opportunity costs, rationing, scarcity, tradeoffs, unintended consequences
Pawnee is going through a bit of a budget crises and they have decided to cut the Parks Department budget so that no parks will be open over the summer break. This also means that a previously-planned concert needed to be canceled as well. The citizens of Pawnee want to know what services the government will provide if they are shut down. Ron relishes in the fact that the services aren’t provided.
See more: common resources, government shutdown, government spending, public resources, role of government, types of goods
Pawnee is going through a budget crisis so Leslie and Ron propose a list of budget cuts that they believe will help keep the Parks Department operation. Chris and Ben break the news that the city’s budget is worse than imagined and the government will need to shut down despite their efforts to keep it operating.
See more: bargaining, government shutdown, government spending, tradeoffs
Pawnee, Indiana is going through a budget crises and the city has decided to postpone all planning and spending decisions until the state auditors come by to review their budgets. While this terrifies Leslie, Ron is happy that state auditors are coming to slash the Pawnee budget because he feels government spending has gotten out of hand.
See more: government shutdown, government spending, role of government, social programs
Ron believes that the government should be operated by private enterprise (like Chuck E. Cheese) that uses a token system to participate, like taking a walk, going down a slide, or seeing a duck. This would take a previously nonexclusive good and turn it into one that must be purchased to be consumed.
See more: capitalism, common resources, exclusivity, private goods, profit maximization, public goods, types of goods
In an effort to get Sweet-ums out of Pawnee Parks, Leslie and Ann hold a town hall meeting. Both Leslie and Ron try to frame their questions to get citizens to vote their way.
See more: behavioral, framing, private incentives, rent seeking, voting
Ron believes that governments are a waste of taxpayer money and should be run more like private (for-profit) companies. Later he suggests that parks could operate on a token system so that anyone wanting to use the park would need to pay for their use.
See more: common resources, exclusivity, government, private goods, profit maximization, public goods, rivalry, role of government, types of goods
Most firms want workers who are hard working and dedicated, but Ron believes Tom is the best government employee because he doesn’t have those qualities. Tom’s ability to shirk would probably get him fired in most companies, but Ron sees things a bit differently.
See more: government, incentives, principle agent problem, private incentives, shirking, social incentives
Ron believes in a very limited government and describes his idea of government as a single employee with the power to start war. This clip can be used to show the extremes of the what role a government should have.
See more: government, national defense, public goods
Economics of Parks & Recreation 