Lauren Burkiss is a guest character in the third season of the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation. She is a 4th grader who comes to Pawnee City Hall for a school field trip. While there, she's supposed to write a report for class on why the government matters and interviews Ron Swanson, who uses the opportunity to indoctrinate her in his libertarian views.
Storyline[]
Season 3[]
Lauren is exploring the offices of City Hall with her class on a field trip. She takes a seat in the empty Parks Department office and tells Ron that she's supposed to be writing a report about why the government matters. Ron talks with her and they hit it off. Ron takes the opportunity to espouse his libertarian beliefs to her and eats Lauren's lunch to compare his actions to those of the government taking taxes. She eagerly absorbs his anti-government views and before she leaves, he gifts her with a claymore mine to protect her property.
The next day, Lauren's mother angrily storms into Ron's office because Lauren got in trouble for her report where she simply wrote "It doesn't". When Ron explains himself, Mrs. Burkiss retorts that "fourth graders aren't supposed to have their heads filled with weird ideas" and is especially enraged that Ron ate Lauren's lunch and gave her an explosive device that could've endangered her daughter's life. Realizing his mistakes, Ron modifies his teachings to Lauren, advising her to keep an open mind, listen to her teachers, and read all the books she can.