Tag: rent seeking

Ron Has a Joke

2018

Leslie is trying to prepare for the correspondents’ lunch by testing her jokes on the Parks Department. While most of her jokes revolve around a local newspaper that has picked on Leslie in the past, she decides to ask her colleagues if they have any jokes she can use Ron decides to tell the gang a joke about efficient governments, but Leslie doesn’t find it all that funny.

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Competing for the Elderly Vote

2018

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!

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The Pawnee River Needs Cleaning

2017

Ben is in DC working as a congressional intern and Leslie takes the opportunity to head to Washington, D.C. to ask for federal funding the clean up the Pawnee River, which is a bit of a “fixer-upper.” This rent seeking behavior is common when entities are seeking federal funding for items that will only benefit their areas.

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Tom’s a Free Rider

2017

Tom recognizes that he can be successful by standing behind successful people and taking partial credit. Free riders often disrupt the efficiency of markets because they receive the benefits without putting in the same level of costs. This rent seeking behavior is apparent in a variety of examples from public service to group projects.

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Negative Externalities of a Nearby Park

2017

Ann and Leslie are trying to convince local residents that a park would be a good alternative to a giant pit located near their homes. The two of them go door-to-door framing their questions to garner public support, but one local resident doesn’t want a park built near her house because of all the potential negative externalities associated with them.

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Market Power with 22 White Vans

2016

While Leslie Knope is running for city council, the Parks Department needs to get a lot of vans to help people get to the polls. A local van rental company realizes they have a monopoly over the market for these white vans and this recent surge in demand has given them the opportunity to capitalize.

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