Ronald Ulysses "Ron" Swanson is a fictional character portrayed by
Nick Offerman from the situation comedy television series
Parks and Recreation on
NBC, created by
Greg Daniels and
Michael Schur. In the series, Ron is the director of the Parks and Recreation department of fictional
Pawnee,
Indiana and the immediate superior of series protagonist
Leslie Knope (
Amy Poehler) until Knope's election to the Pawnee City Council at the end of Season 4. In demeanor, political philosophy and work ethic, Knope and Swanson are very nearly polar opposites: where Knope is sunny and outgoing, decidedly liberal and constantly working, Swanson is distant, and as a staunch
libertarian, is a strong advocate for
small government—stating his belief that government should be privatized—and therefore believes that the parks department should not even exist.