Is Donald Trump improving the US government?

Short answer: it depends on what “improve” means to you. Since Donald Trump returned to office on January 20, 2025, his team has pushed big changes to how the federal government is organized and managed—some people see these as overdue streamlining; others see them as politicization that weakens capacity. Here are the main pieces and the evidence.

•Civil service and agency management

•Reclassified “policy‑influencing” civil‑service jobs (a revival of Schedule F, now “Schedule Policy/Career”) to make removals easier; OPM finalized rules, but unions and advocacy groups are challenging them in court.[1]

•A government‑wide hiring freeze began January 20, 2025; the federal workforce shrank roughly 9–10% in 2025 according to independent analyses. GAO also says agencies still need to fully implement new performance‑management requirements.[2]

•The administration published a new President’s Management Agenda describing its goals for “root‑and‑branch” reform.[3]

•Regulation and presidential control

•The White House’s regulatory office (OIRA) claims an unprecedented net deregulatory year in FY2025; outside trackers find a more mixed picture and note that metrics disagree.[4]

•Outcomes people often use to judge “improvement”

•Economy: Real GDP grew at a 3.4% annual rate in Q3 2026; unemployment was 4.2% in September; year‑over‑year inflation was in the mid‑3% range as of September.[5]

•Fiscal picture: The federal deficit for FY2026 was about $2.0 trillion, higher than historical norms as a share of GDP.[6]

•Immigration/border: CBP data show encounters well below 2024 peaks; removals/deportations have increased, though several enforcement initiatives have faced court limits (for example, on birthright citizenship). Immigration courts report progress reducing the case backlog, but practices are contested.[7]

•Public trust/approval: Broad trust in the federal government and the president’s job approval were low in 2026 across multiple surveys.[8]

How this nets out:

•If your yardsticks are a smaller federal workforce, fewer regulations, and tougher immigration enforcement, you may judge the changes as “improvements.”

•If you prioritize agency independence, institutional capacity and continuity, lower deficits, and higher public trust, you may see the net effect as negative so far.

If you tell me which dimensions of “improve” you care about—service delivery times, costs, staffing, rulemaking, immigration, the economy, or public trust—I can drill into just those with the latest numbers.

Citations (8)

1federalregister.govGovernment
EXECUTIVE ORDER
Backs: “OPM finalized rules, but unions and advocacy groups are challenging them in court.”
2whitehouse.govGovernment
Hiring Freeze – The White House
Backs: “GAO also says agencies still need to fully implement new performance‑management requirements.”
3whitehouse.govGovernment
President's Management Agenda
Backs: “The administration published a new President’s Management Agenda describing its goals for “root‑and‑branch” reform.”
4whitehouse.govGovernment
White House Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Releases End of Year Deregulatory Stats: Showing the Trump Administration Has Best Deregulation Year in History – The White House
Backs: “The White House’s regulatory office (OIRA) claims an unprecedented net deregulatory year in FY2025; outside trackers find a more mixed picture and note that metrics disagree.”
5bea.govGovernment
GDP (Advance Estimate), 3rd Quarter 2026 | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
Backs: “Real GDP grew at a 3.4% annual rate in Q3 2026; unemployment was 4.2% in September; year‑over‑year inflation was in the mid‑3% range as of September.”
6crfb.orgNonprofits and think tanks
CBO Estimates $2.0 Trillion Deficit for Fiscal Year 2026 | Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget
Backs: “The federal deficit for FY2026 was about $2.0 trillion, higher than historical norms as a share of GDP.”
7cbp.govGovernment
Workbook: CBP Nationwide Encounters MAYFY26
Backs: “Immigration courts report progress reducing the case backlog, but practices are contested.”
8edelman.comCompanies
2026 Edelman Trust Barometer
Backs: “Broad trust in the federal government and the president’s job approval were low in 2026 across multiple surveys.”