The fictional town of Pawnee is full of powerful heavy hitters. While the town may be small and filled with rabid raccoons, its people are prideful and want what’s best for it. It’s because of their pride that those at city hall (namely the parks and recreation department) do everything they can to make Pawnee a better place. But how much rank do those at the department actually have?
Just because a person has a higher job title doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the most powerful. People like Ron Swanson have a position of power but don’t care enough to use it. So, who really is the most powerful person on Parks and Recreation?
10 Jerry Gergich
Jerry has held some pretty important titles in Pawnee’s city hall. He was a park ranger, an office manager, a notary, and later, he even became mayor! If anyone should have been heard and respected, it should have been Jerry.
Sadly, because of his fumbling nature and happy-go-lucky attitude, no one at the department respected him. Years of service be damned, Jerry had no power.
9 Andy Dwyer
As crazy as this sounds, Andy had more power than Jerry did during his time at city hall, and he wasn’t even a part of the parks and Rec. department.
Andy is the human version of a golden retriever and just wanted to help everyone when they needed it. As goofy as Andy was, people respected him and utilized his loyalty. He never had a high-ranking role on the show but he did have a source of power.
8 Tom Haverford
Tom Haverford was an administrator while at the department, which didn’t come with too much power, but it was his personality that demanded attention. People like Donna and Ann didn’t always take Tom seriously but when he needed something done, he got it done. He had the power to get loans for his start-up businesses, he had the ability to convince Leslie to hire Entertainment 720 (even though they weren’t prepared for the event), and he had the power to get his job back after leaving it. Tom wasn’t the smartest but his charm made him powerful.
7 Ann Perkins
Ann Perkins held a lot of power solely because her best friend was Leslie Knope. If Ann wanted something done, Leslie was going to do everything she could to make it happen. People didn’t respect Ann more because of who her best friend did but it did make her powerful. She was basically handed the public relations job in the health department because of her relationship with Leslie. Ann was also a nurse who was able to help those in Pawnee and send them in the right direction.
6 Donna Meagle
Donna worked in permits security for the parks department, which was a position that came with power if a person needed a permit. Aside from her job, Donna had the kind of personality where people took her seriously. She was direct and a bit intimidating. It’s one of the reasons why April and Tom respected her so much. She had this aura about her that commanded respect. It’s because of her confident attitude and pull with others that she didn’t even know the magic of her power.
5 April Ludgate
April Ludgate had far more power than she was given credit for. Sure, she started out as an intern and later an assistant, but her loyalty to people like Ron and Leslie gave her power in return. They saw great potential in Apil and wanted what was best for her. Although she had a dark sense of humor and was sarcastic, people took her seriously when she needed their attention. That’s exactly what happened when she suggested making a dog park in Pawnee or when she was the Deputy of Animal Control.
4 Ron Swanson
Ron Swanson was the Director of the Pawnee City parks and recreation department. It doesn’t get higher than that. Ron could have been the most powerful person at city hall but the problem is that he didn’t care about power. He collected his paycheck while hating his job and the government.
Ron could have had power if he wanted it (and used it when he truly cared about something) but he sat back and let Leslie do most of the work. Nevertheless, he still had immense power over everyone in the department due to his intimidating nature.
3 Ben Wyatt
Ben Wyatt was polite and soft-spoken but he had a ton of power during his time on the show. He was the kind of guy who could have any job he wanted because people were immediately drawn to him. He was smart, decisive, and humble. It was because of his sweet, powerful ways that people trusted him with their campaigns, finances, and even managing cities.
Not only was Ben married to one of the most powerful women in the series but he had his own power.
2 Chris Traeger
Chris Traeger was positive, optimistic, bubbly, and yet he was domineering. He was the government auditor for the state of Indiana at the start of the series, and he later became Pawnee’s City Manager. He was the guy who could deliver bad news with a smile on his face to soften the blow. However, at the same time, when Chris needed to show off his powerful side for the sake of the city, people listened and followed orders. Chris was one unassuming, powerful man.
1 Leslie Knope
Despite Ron, Chris, and Ben all having higher positions than Leslie, no one was more powerful in Pawnee than she was. She knew everything there was about Pawnee and used it to her advantage. Although everyone didn’t always take Leslie seriously, she was a force to be reckoned with. What she said went. It was only a matter of time that Leslie’s power would outgrow the parks department and lead her to a life of politics and the National Park Service.
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