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
The government often provides services for public goods and common goods when the private market isn’t ready to accept that responsibility. Because Ron is a big believe in free markets, he isn’t happy that federal money is being spent on providing common resources for the community. He believes that the best kind of park would be one ran by Chuck E. Cheese.
See more: common resources, excludability, federal budget, free rider problem, government, government programs, government spending, rivalry, role of government, types of goods
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
Ron and Leslie meet for lunch to settle a bet, but not before Ron extolls the virtues of capitalism and competition in the free market. Leslie, of course, disagrees on the role of government because she recognizes that not all services can be provided private enterprise.
See more: capitalism, competition, externalities, free market, government, public economics, public goods, role of government
Economics of Parks & Recreation 