Leslie Knope

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Leslie Knope was born on January 18, 1975, in Eagleton, Indiana, due to a raccoon infestation in Pawnee, and has lived in Pawnee since infancy. Her father died when she was young, though the show does not specify a year. She was inspired to pursue public service by community programs she enjoyed as a child. At Pawnee North High School, she served as Co-Vice President of the student body and participated in Model United Nations, Debate Club, Mock Trial, Young Democrats, and the Young Independents, which she founded. She graduated in the top 5% of her high-school class and graduated from Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs. In her role as deputy director, she serves on several committees, including the Equal Opportunity Committee, the Fun in the Sun Committee, the Clean Restroom Task Force, the Handicapped Restroom Task Force, and the Task Force to Reduce the Number of Public Restrooms. She proudly displays in her office images of Hillary Clinton, Sandra Day O'Connor, Madeleine Albright, Condoleezza Rice, Dianne Feinstein, Janet Reno, Nancy Pelosi, and Larry Bird. She has a love for sweets, especially waffles from J.J.'s Diner and whipped cream, which she puts in coffee and on waffles. On November 9, 2016, a member of the *Parks and Recreation* writing staff wrote an open letter for Vox from the fictional character Leslie Knope on the election results.

In Their Own Story

Leslie is initially shown to harbor romantic feelings for her co-worker Mark Brendanawicz, stemming from a romantic liaison several years before. She is desperate to impress her mother, Marlene Griggs-Knope, a well-known politician in Pawnee government. At a public forum, she meets Ann Perkins, who informs her about a gaping hole near her house that her boyfriend, Andy Dwyer, fell into. Leslie takes on the project and quickly becomes friends with Ann. In season two, she dates police officer Dave Sanderson, who is called into active duty in San Diego; she declines to move with him because she loves her work and Pawnee too much. She then dates Justin, an old lawyer friend of Ann's, but breaks up with him after he reunites Leslie's mother with an old flame over Leslie's protests, realizing Justin cares more about the story than about her. At the end of season two, state auditors Ben Wyatt and Chris Traeger shut down the government due to Pawnee's financial problems. In season three, Leslie works on the Harvest Festival to bring money to Pawnee. She and Ben develop romantic feelings but keep their relationship under wraps due to Chris's inter-office dating rules. In the season finale, a group of people who look for talent in government tell Leslie she has potential to become a city council member or even mayor. In season four, Leslie announces her city council candidacy. She writes a book called *Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America*. She finds out she was born in Eagleton because the Pawnee hospital was overrun by raccoons. Leslie and Ben get back together, and Ben resigns to save Leslie from being fired. Her campaign managers leave due to low approval ratings after news of her relationship with Ben, but the Parks employees and Ann run her campaign. After a recount, it is revealed that Leslie beat Bobby Newport by 21 votes. In season five, she and Ben get engaged and move into a house together. They marry months earlier than planned after a black-tie fundraiser for Pawnee Commons is disrupted by Jeremy Jamm; the Parks Department plans a secret wedding that same night, and Ron walks Leslie down the aisle. During her first year as city councilor, she passes a city-wide soda tax, merges animal control and parks department, and secures money for Pawnee Commons. At the end of the season, the Sweetums Corporation begins a campaign to rec...

Reader's Guide

Leslie Knope serves as the deputy director of Pawnee's Parks and Recreation Department, a midlevel bureaucratic position, for the first three seasons. In season four, she successfully campaigns to become a member of the city council. She is extremely cheerful, ambitious, hard-working, and optimistic, firmly committed to the belief that government should provide a service for its people. This belief regularly clashes with her superior Ron Swanson, a staunch libertarian who feels all government should be dissolved and privatized. Although somewhat naive, Leslie is intelligent, well-read, and has good intentions, but is not always successful in executing her goals. She repeatedly tries to put a positive spin on failure, even distorting the truth in her own view; for example, she thinks of angry residents as 'people caring loudly at me'. Many of her co-workers do not share her enthusiasm, but Leslie commands their respect. Her ambition occasionally annoys her colleagues, especially her subordinate Tom Haverford. She views herself as a budding political star in the style of Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, and Condoleezza Rice. She has been widely lauded as a positive figure for advancing gender equality and feminism. Although she runs for city council as an independent, she joins the Democratic Party at some point, as she is approached by 'Janet from the DNC' about a potential gubernatorial bid in the final season.

Did You Know?

• Leslie was born in Eagleton, Indiana, because the Pawnee hospital was overrun by raccoons.
• She graduated from Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
• She founded the Young Independents club at Pawnee North High School.
• Her office displays images of Hillary Clinton, Sandra Day O'Connor, Madeleine Albright, Condoleezza Rice, Dianne Feinstein, Janet Reno, Nancy Pelosi, and Larry Bird.
• A member of the Parks and Recreation writing staff wrote an open letter for Vox from Leslie Knope on the 2016 election results.

Career Trajectory and Ambitions

Leslie Barbara Knope serves as deputy director of Pawnee's Parks and Recreation Department for most of the show's run, a midlevel bureaucratic position. In season four, she successfully campaigns to become a member of the city council. She hopes to improve her town and advance her career, possibly aiming to become city manager. She has stated her ultimate goal of becoming the first female President of the United States. She proudly displays in her office images of Hillary Clinton, Sandra Day O'Connor, Joe Biden, Madeleine Albright, Condoleezza Rice, Dianne Feinstein, Janet Reno, Nancy Pelosi, and Larry Bird. She graduated summa cum laude from Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs. In high school, she served as Co-Vice President of the student body and participated in Model United Nations, Debate Club, Mock Trial, Young Republicans, Young Democrats, and the Young Independents, which she founded.

Personality and Leadership Style

Leslie Knope is extremely cheerful, ambitious, hard-working, and optimistic. She is firmly committed to the belief that government should provide a service for its people, and regularly goes above and beyond for the benefits of Pawnee's residents. Although somewhat naive, she is intelligent, well-read, and has good intentions, but is not always successful in executing her goals. She repeatedly tries to put a positive spin on failure, even to the point where she will occasionally distort the truth in her own view. For example, she does not get discouraged by angry residents who complain or yell during her public forums, but instead prefers to think of them as 'people caring loudly at me'. Many of her co-workers do not share her enthusiasm, but Leslie commands their respect, nonetheless. Her ambition occasionally annoys her colleagues and leads to ribbing against her, especially from her subordinate Tom Haverford. She harbors an irrational hatred of public libraries, salads, and the wealthy neighboring town of Eagleton, which she found out, to her sheer horror, was actually her birthplace.

Personal Life and Relationships

Leslie Knope was born on January 18, 1975, in Eagleton, Indiana, due to a raccoon infestation in Pawnee, and has lived in Pawnee since infancy. Her father died in 1985. She has a difficult relationship with her mother, Marlene Griggs-Knope, a tough and tactless woman who has had a long and successful career in local government and who does not think much of her daughter's professional or personal choices. Leslie initially harbors romantic feelings for her co-worker Mark Brendanawicz, likely stemming from a romantic liaison with him several years before. In season two, she dates police officer Dave Sanderson, who is called into active duty in San Diego; she declines to move with him because she loves her work and Pawnee too much. She then dates Justin, an old lawyer friend of Ann's, but breaks up with him after he reunites Leslie's mother with an old flame over Leslie's constant protests, realizing Justin cares more about the reunion story than about her. In season three, she and Ben Wyatt develop romantic feelings and attempt to keep their romance under wraps due to Chris's inter-office dating rules. In season four, they reluctantly break up but later get back together. In season five, they get engaged, move into a house together, and marry months earlier than planned; Ron walks Leslie down the aisle at a secret wedding in the office. Her favorite food is waffles from J.J.'s Diner, and she puts whipped cream in coffee and on waffles. She has a crush on then-vice president Joe Biden.

Cultural Impact and Legacy

For her performance as Leslie Knope, Amy Poehler has been nominated for several awards and won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy. The character has been widely lauded as a positive figure for advancing gender equality and feminism because she represents a strong woman who encourages others to empower themselves and support the women around them. On November 10, 2016, a member of the *Parks and Recreation* writing staff wrote an open letter for Vox from the fictional character Leslie Knope on the election results.