The heroine Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) is a mid-level official in the "Parks and Public Recreation Department" in Pawnee, Indiana. In order to beautify her home, Leslie chose a seemingly simple plan: to help nurse Ann Perkins (Rashida Jones) turn a wasteland (deep pit) into a community park. Leslie's colleague Tom Haverford (Aziz Ansari) is a guy who is determined to climb up for personal gain, and he often "helps" Leslie. Although Leslie's boss Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) is a senior official, he is a stubborn anarchist, and his words and deeds bring great resistance to Leslie. Urban planner Mark Brendanawicz (Paul Schneider) stands firmly on Leslie's side, but his 15-year public service career has also ruined his temper and his view of the future. Leslie hopes to use his success to influence college intern April (Aubrey Plaza) and April's generation. She has an "ultimate goal" that she has never mentioned to anyone - she is determined to become the first female president in American history.