Tag: tradeoffs

Don’t Half Ass Two Things

2020

Ron is trying to convince Leslie to take a sabbatical and focus on her campaign and not split her time between campaigning and the Parks Department. He tells the story of himself in middle school trying to complete schoolwork while working at the tannery and a sheet-metal factory and how it wasn’t worth trying to “half ass two things.”

Ron’s advice is that even though Leslie can do both things, she should specialize in her campaign. Trying to do too many things would cause Leslie to experience diminishing returns rather quickly and she could achieve a lot more if she focuses on less.

Steak, Cigars, and Health Problems

2018

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!

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Leslie Can’t Get Everything She Wants

2017

Leslie accepts a job with the National Parks Service in Chicago, but it means she has to leave her hometown of Pawnee, Indiana. She tries to recruit team members from the office, but no one is willing to go with her. She begins to realize all the things she’s going to miss when she leaves. Because time and resources are scarce, Leslie is forced to make choices.

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No Engagement Ring

2017

Ann and Chris decide not to buy an engagement ring because they think it is an unnecessary expense when they could do other things with the money. Engagement rings are often considered signals in the dating market that one partner is unavailable. The couple watching the exchange realize they could buy a house instead of buying a ring.

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Which Bus Tour to Take?

2017

Members of the Parks Department goes to London to visit, but Leslie can’t decide which bus tour to take. She has three options, all starting around the same time and needs to pick one. Ron and April aren’t much help. Because time is a scarce resource, Leslie needs to figure out which bus tour will maximize her happiness.

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Ann Has to Go

2017

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.

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Something Has To Go

2017

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.

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Is a Sunset Worth Asthma?

2017

The pollution from the local factory creates a beautiful sunset, but it also gives people asthma. Ben and Leslie debate whether the beauty of the sunset is worth the tradeoff. Reducing pollution to zero would be extremely expensive, so it’s important to find some optimal level of pollution.

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Tom Needs a Job

2017

Now that the Parks Department is temporarily shut down, Tom starts packing up his office items. With the pending layoff, Tom has the option of seeking out a temporary job or becoming an entrepreneur.

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Shutting Down Pawnee

2017

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.

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