Is Donald Trump improving the US government?

Both sidesSays it is contested

Short answer: It depends on what you mean by “improve.” As of September 11, 2026, Donald J. Trump is the 47th U.S. president; on many governance metrics his second-term record shows mixed results—clear movement on his priorities alongside tradeoffs in capacity, legality, and public trust.[1]

What’s improved (on the administration’s terms)

•Political control and speed at the top of agencies: On January 20, 2025 Trump reinstated and amended “Schedule F” (now “Schedule Policy/Career”) via Executive Order 14171, making it easier to reclassify and remove policy‑influencing civil servants—supporters say this boosts accountability and responsiveness.[2]

•Faster immigration case movement and enforcement: Immigration courts set records for monthly case closures in mid‑2026, with removals up; the backlog is still huge but has started to edge down.[3]

•Some service delivery targets: State’s published goal of shorter passport processing (generally 4–6 weeks in recent updates) remained in effect; the department continues to report progress toward sub‑11‑week averages for routine service by FY2026.[4]

•Deregulation push: The White House ordered a renewed “regulatory budget” (reporting a 10‑to‑1 repeal‑to‑new‑rule ratio in FY2025), aiming to cut compliance costs; how durable or accurately measured those savings are remains debated.[5]

•Big policy wins Congress passed: A 2025 reconciliation law (Public Law 119‑21, dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill”/Working Families Tax Cuts) permanently extended major pieces of the 2017 tax law and made other changes the administration argues improve government and economic performance.[6]

Where evidence points to strain or decline

•Government capacity and morale: The federal civilian workforce shrank sharply in 2025 (about 10%) as agencies implemented the new direction; GAO and OPM flagged workforce reductions and data/reporting challenges as top management issues for 2026. Critics warn Schedule F‑style changes risk politicization and loss of expertise.[7]

•Service bottlenecks: The IRS reports a largely successful 2026 filing season overall, but the National Taxpayer Advocate shows phone service metrics worsened versus 2025 (lower level of service, longer hold times), suggesting thinner capacity on some channels.[8]

•Fiscal picture: Despite tax‑law changes, CBO projects the FY2026 federal deficit at about $1.9 trillion (≈5.8% of GDP), higher than the long‑run average share of GDP.[6]

•Legal environment complicating governance: The Supreme Court’s 2024 Loper Bright/Relentless rulings ended Chevron deference, meaning courts give agencies less leeway on statutory interpretation—making ambitious executive‑branch rewrites harder to sustain.[9]

•Public confidence: Trust in national institutions—including the presidency and federal government—remains near historic lows in 2026; polls also find rising skepticism of government information. That undermines perceptions of “improvement,” regardless of policy outputs.[10]

Bottom line

•If “improve” means tighter presidential control over the bureaucracy, faster immigration enforcement, and fewer regulations, the administration has moved the U.S. government in that direction.[2]

•If it means stronger institutional capacity, broad public trust, stable service quality across agencies, and a narrowing deficit, the evidence so far points the other way.[7]

If you tell me which dimensions you care about—efficiency, service delivery, rule of law, fiscal health, immigration outcomes, or public trust—I can drill into those specifically with the latest data.

Citations (10)

1usa.govGovernment
Presidents, vice presidents, and first ladies | USAGov
Backs: “Trump is the 47th U.S. president; on many governance metrics his second-term record shows mixed results—clear movement on his priorities alongside tradeoffs in capacity, legality, and public trust.”
background, reference entry, neutral. Claim: Donald J. Trump is the 47th U.S. president as of the stated date.
2federalregister.govGovernment
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2025/01/31/2025-02095.html
Backs: “On January 20, 2025 Trump reinstated and amended “Schedule F” (now “Schedule Policy/Career”) via Executive Order 14171, making it easier to reclassify and remove policy‑influencing civil servants—supporters say this boosts accountability and responsiveness.”
evidence, official document, points to yes. Claim: Executive Order 14171 reinstated Schedule F (Schedule Policy/Career), making it easier to reclassify and remove policy-influencing civil servants; supporters say this boosts accountability.
3tracreports.orgAcademic
News from TRAC
Backs: “Immigration courts set records for monthly case closures in mid‑2026, with removals up; the backlog is still huge but has started to edge down.”
evidence, article, points to yes. Claim: Immigration courts set record monthly case closures in mid-2026, removals up, backlog still huge but starting to edge down.
4state.govGovernment
Reducing U.S. Passport Processing Times - United States Department of State
Backs: “State’s published goal of shorter passport processing (generally 4–6 weeks in recent updates) remained in effect; the department continues to report progress toward sub‑11‑week averages for routine service by FY2026.”
evidence, official document, points to yes. Claim: State Department passport processing goals of shorter times remained in effect, with progress toward sub-11-week averages.
5reginfo.govGovernment
https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaEO14192
Backs: “The White House ordered a renewed “regulatory budget” (reporting a 10‑to‑1 repeal‑to‑new‑rule ratio in FY2025), aiming to cut compliance costs; how durable or accurately measured those savings are remains debated.”
statistic, data page, points to yes. Claim: White House renewed regulatory budget, reporting a 10-to-1 repeal-to-new-rule ratio in FY2025, though durability of savings is debated.
6cbo.govGovernment
The Budget and Economic Outlook: 2026 to 2036 | Congressional Budget Office
Backs: “A 2025 reconciliation law (Public Law 119‑21, dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill”/Working Families Tax Cuts) permanently extended major pieces of the 2017 tax law and made other changes the administration argues improve government and economic performance.”
statistic, official document, points to no. Claim: CBO projects FY2026 federal deficit of about $1.9 trillion (about 5.8% of GDP), despite tax-law changes.
7pewresearch.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Federal workforce shrank 10% in Trump’s first year back in office | Pew Research Center
Backs: “Critics warn Schedule F‑style changes risk politicization and loss of expertise.”
statistic, article, points to no. Claim: Federal civilian workforce shrank about 10% in 2025, straining government capacity; critics warn of politicization and lost expertise.
8irs.govGovernment
National Taxpayer Advocate issues 2026 mid-year report to Congress | Internal Revenue Service
Backs: “The IRS reports a largely successful 2026 filing season overall, but the National Taxpayer Advocate shows phone service metrics worsened versus 2025 (lower level of service, longer hold times), suggesting thinner capacity on some channels.”
evidence, article, points to no. Claim: National Taxpayer Advocate shows IRS phone service worsened versus 2025, with lower service levels and longer hold times.
9scotusblog.comNews and mediaquality 0.87
Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo - SCOTUSblog
Backs: “The Supreme Court’s 2024 Loper Bright/Relentless rulings ended Chevron deference, meaning courts give agencies less leeway on statutory interpretation—making ambitious executive‑branch rewrites harder to sustain.”
background, reference entry, points to no. Claim: Loper Bright ended Chevron deference, giving agencies less leeway and making ambitious executive rewrites harder to sustain.
10gallup.comCompanies
Confidence in U.S. Institutions Remains Near All-Time Low
Backs: “That undermines perceptions of “improvement,” regardless of policy outputs.”
evidence, article, points to no. Claim: Trust in national institutions including the presidency and federal government remains near historic lows in 2026.