Is Donald Trump improving the US government?

Short answer: it depends on what “improving” means to you. Here’s a quick, sourced snapshot as of November 2026.

Areas some view as improvement

•Tighter border and immigration controls: The administration reinstated and expanded policies like Migrant Protection Protocols and curtailed parole programs; government analyses note large declines in southwest border encounters in 2025–2026.[1]

•Faster top‑down control of agencies: Trump re‑created “Schedule F” (now “Schedule Policy/Career”) via Executive Order 14171, making more policy‑influencing civil‑service roles easier to reassign or remove; OPM finalized rules in 2026. Supporters say this increases accountability.[2]

•Deregulatory push: The White House revived a regulatory‑budget approach and emphasized reducing rules reviewed by OIRA; outside trackers describe broad rollbacks across agencies.[3]

•Macro economy holding up: Jobs rose by 165,000 in October 2026 with unemployment at 4.1%, and real GDP grew at a 3.4% annual rate in Q3 2026.[4]

Areas critics call harmful or mixed

•Civil service capacity and continuity: A government‑wide hiring freeze in early 2025 (later relaxed) and workforce reshuffling coincided with notable staffing drops and a spike in paid administrative leave costs, which GAO flags as a management concern.[5]

•Governing mostly by executive action: Much of the agenda has proceeded without new laws, making policies more vulnerable to court challenges or reversal by future administrations.[6]

•Fiscal picture: Despite tariffs and other measures, the deficit remained roughly $2.0 trillion in FY2026 (about 5.8% of GDP), limiting claims of improved fiscal stewardship.[7]

Bottom line
If you prioritize stronger border enforcement, quicker executive control over agencies, and fewer regulations, you may see “improvement.” If you value career‑civil‑service protections, legislative durability, and smaller deficits, you may not. Tell me which outcomes you care about (e.g., service quality at agencies, rule of law, deficits, economic results, border metrics), and I’ll give a more direct assessment for those criteria.[8]

Citations (8)

1cbo.govGovernment
The Demographic Outlook: 2026 to 2056 | Congressional Budget Office
Backs: “The administration reinstated and expanded policies like Migrant Protection Protocols and curtailed parole programs; government analyses note large declines in southwest border encounters in 2025–2026.”
2federalregister.govGovernment
EXECUTIVE ORDER
Backs: “OPM finalized rules in 2026. Supporters say this increases accountability.”
3everycrsreport.comEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.91
https://www.everycrsreport.com/files/2026-06-26_IF12058_44c622c151014879779897df14551c77edeb7dc7.html
Backs: “The White House revived a regulatory‑budget approach and emphasized reducing rules reviewed by OIRA; outside trackers describe broad rollbacks across agencies.”
4bls.govGovernment
Employment Situation News Release - 2026 M10 Results
Backs: “Jobs rose by 165,000 in October 2026 with unemployment at 4.1%, and real GDP grew at a 3.4% annual rate in Q3 2026.”
5whitehouse.govGovernment
Hiring Freeze – The White House
Backs: “A government‑wide hiring freeze in early 2025 (later relaxed) and workforce reshuffling coincided with notable staffing drops and a spike in paid administrative leave costs, which GAO flags as a management concern.”
6axios.comNews and mediaquality 0.90
The state of economic policy after Democrats' big win
Backs: “Much of the agenda has proceeded without new laws, making policies more vulnerable to court challenges or reversal by future administrations.”
7cbo.govGovernment
Monthly Budget Review: September 2026 | Congressional Budget Office
Backs: “Despite tariffs and other measures, the deficit remained roughly $2.0 trillion in FY2026 (about 5.8% of GDP), limiting claims of improved fiscal stewardship.”
8usa.govGovernment
Presidents, vice presidents, and first ladies | USAGov
Backs: “Tell me which outcomes you care about (e.g., service quality at agencies, rule of law, deficits, economic results, border metrics), and I’ll give a more direct assessment for those criteria.”