Is Donald Trump improving the US government?

I'll search for current assessments of government reforms and performance under the Trump administration.

Whether Donald Trump is improving the U.S. government is disputed and depends on how "improving" is measured. The administration, supporters, and critics point to different metrics:

What the Trump Administration Says It Has Improved

The administration says its goal is reducing the size and scope of the federal governmentto "enhance accountability, reduce waste, and promote innovation".

Specific claims include:

•Deregulation: The White House Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs reported for FY2025 that agencies finalized 646 deregulatory actions compared to only 5 regulatory actions, for a ratio of 129-to-1, with $211.8 billion in net cost savings. OMB Director Russ Vought called it "the most ambitious in American history".

•Government Efficiency (DOGE): The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was tasked with "improving efficiency by downsizing the government, cutting the federal workforce, and eliminating entire programs". The White House states that "Government efficiency efforts have saved an estimated $215 billion, equivalent to $1,335 per U.S. taxpayer".

•Workforce and Operations: The administration states it "shrunk the federal bureaucracy by 10% in 2025", increased percentage of federal employees working in-office, and developed "retire.opm.gov," a website that automates federal retirements.

•Management Agenda: The President's Management Agenda includes goals to "eliminate 'woke' programs, downsize the government workforce and real estate portfolio, implement workforce reforms and modernize government technology".

What Polling Shows About Public Perception

Polls indicate majority public disapproval of Trump's handling of government:

•Pew Research Center in August 2025 found a 53% majority say Trump is making the federal government work worse, while only about half as many (27%) say he is making the government work better.

•In another Pew report a year into his second administration, Trump's approval rating stands at 37%, and by more than two-to-one Americans say administration actions have been worse than expected (50% vs 21%).

•Pew also reported "far more say President Trump is making the way the federal government works worse than making it better" six months into his term.

•An AP-NORC poll found "About 4 in 10 Americans approve of Trump's handling of government spending, down from 46% in March", and that Trump earned less than 50% approval on every issue including government spending.

•Other polling averages show Trump's overall approval at 40%, and as low as 36% in Gallup, the lowest of his second term.

Independent Assessments

Analysts note mixed results:

•Brookings Institution analysis said early DOGE efforts were "enacted on dubious legal grounds, which poses a threat to their permanence" and were "undertaken without attention to or understanding of the government’s mission".

•The same analysis found that the administration's cuts led to legal reversals, with many early DOGE actions "reversed by lower federal courts", and a pattern where "Large layoffs are announced... then, it becomes apparent that the agency is in danger of malfunctioning, and a scramble to rehire or rescind offers ensues".

In summary, supporters point to deregulation ratios, claimed cost savings, and workforce reduction as improvements in efficiency and reduced government footprint. Critics and a majority of poll respondents say the changes have made government function worse, citing legal challenges, service disruption risks, and low approval on government management.

Citations (3)

1whitehouse.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
Backs: “The administration says its goal is reducing the size and scope of the federal governmentto "enhance accountability, reduce waste, and promote innovation". Specific claims include: Deregulation: The White House Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs reported for FY2025 that…”
2brookings.eduNonprofits and think tanks
How will we know if DOGE is succeeding? | Brookings
Backs: “Deregulation: The White House Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs reported for FY2025 that agencies finalized 646 deregulatory actions compared to only 5 regulatory actions, for a ratio of 129-to-1, with $211.8 billion in net cost savings. OMB Director Russ Vought called it…”
3whitehouse.govGovernment
Reform Government (DOGE) – The White House
Backs: “Government Efficiency (DOGE): The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was tasked with "improving efficiency by downsizing the government, cutting the federal workforce, and eliminating entire programs". The White House states that "Government efficiency efforts have saved an estimated $215 billion, equivalent…”