Is Donald Trump improving the US government?

Short answer: it depends what “improving” means to you. On several observable measures of government performance and public confidence since Donald Trump took office again on January 20, 2025, the picture is mixed—with notable declines in public trust and customer satisfaction, significant workforce policy changes, and uneven staffing.[1]

What’s gotten better or tighter from the administration’s point of view

•Tighter control over the civil service: Trump reinstated and expanded a version of “Schedule F” (now “Schedule Policy/Career”) to make it easier to replace policy‑influencing career officials, and OPM issued a final rule to implement it. Supporters say this improves accountability and alignment with elected priorities.[2]

•Stricter workforce discipline: The White House ordered a government‑wide hiring freeze (with exceptions) and a return‑to‑office mandate, arguing these steps would raise efficiency.[3]

Signals that have worsened or raised concern

•Public trust fell to new lows in 2026: Only about a quarter of Americans say they trust the federal government “some” or “a lot,” down from 2025. That’s an important barometer of perceived government performance.[4]

•Customer experience with federal services declined in 2026: After hitting a 19‑year high in 2025, citizen satisfaction dropped in 2026, and independent analysts (Forrester) also reported a statistically significant federal CX decline.[5]

•Workforce stability and measurement challenges: OPM delayed/canceled the 2025 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (the main, government‑wide engagement metric), reducing visibility into morale; the 2024 baseline engagement score (pre‑inauguration) was 67.7/100. Analysts also flagged unusually high turnover among political appointees in 2025–26.[6]

•Service strain in key operations: GAO’s preliminary review of the 2026 tax filing season found IRS answered about 2 million fewer calls than in 2025 amid staffing pressures.[7]

Broader effectiveness checks

•GAO’s 2025 High‑Risk update (a cross‑administration gauge of waste/fraud/management problems) still lists dozens of vulnerable areas; GAO notes progress in some since 2023 but not wholesale removal. That suggests long‑standing management challenges remain.[8]

•Leadership vacancies/turnover: Public trackers show ongoing churn and acting officials in many roles; this can slow decision‑making and oversight.[9]

Bottom line

•If “improving” means centralizing control over agencies and accelerating policy shifts, the administration has moved decisively (e.g., Schedule Policy/Career; hiring and telework restrictions).

•If “improving” means higher public trust, better day‑to‑day service, and stable, measurable workforce engagement, recent data tilt negative or uncertain so far in 2025–26.

If you tell me which outcomes you care most about—service quality, ethics, spending, national security, appointments, or civil‑service professionalism—I can give a more targeted assessment.

Citations (9)

1usa.govGovernment
Presidents, vice presidents, and first ladies | USAGov
Backs: “On several observable measures of government performance and public confidence since Donald Trump took office again on January 20, 2025, the picture is mixed—with notable declines in public trust and customer satisfaction, significant workforce policy changes, and uneven staffing.”
2osd.milGovernment
Executive Orders And Presidential Memorandums | DCPAS
Backs: “Supporters say this improves accountability and alignment with elected priorities.”
3whitehouse.govGovernment
Hiring Freeze – The White House
Backs: “The White House ordered a government‑wide hiring freeze (with exceptions) and a return‑to‑office mandate, arguing these steps would raise efficiency.”
4gallup.comCompanies
Confidence in Federal Government to Improve Lives Falters
Backs: “That’s an important barometer of perceived government performance.”
5theacsi.comNot yet classified
Press Release Federal Government Study 2025 | The American Customer Satisfaction Index
Backs: “After hitting a 19‑year high in 2025, citizen satisfaction dropped in 2026, and independent analysts (Forrester) also reported a statistically significant federal CX decline.”
6govdelivery.comCompanies
Cancellation of 2025 OPM Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey
Backs: “Analysts also flagged unusually high turnover among political appointees in 2025–26.”
7gao.govGovernment
2026 Filing Season: Preliminary Observations on IRS Performance | U.S. GAO
Backs: “GAO’s preliminary review of the 2026 tax filing season found IRS answered about 2 million fewer calls than in 2025 amid staffing pressures.”
8gao.govGovernment
High-Risk Series: Heightened Attention Could Save Billions More and Improve Government Efficiency and Effectiveness | U.S. GAO
Backs: “GAO notes progress in some since 2023 but not wholesale removal. That suggests long‑standing management challenges remain.”
9washingtonpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
Tracking Trump’s Cabinet and administration nominations - Washington Post
Backs: “Public trackers show ongoing churn and acting officials in many roles; this can slow decision‑making and oversight.”