Is Donald Trump improving the US government?

Short answer: It’s mixed, and it depends on what you mean by “improving.”

Here are the biggest, measurable shifts since January 20, 2025 (Trump’s second inauguration), and how they cut both ways:

•Civil service and “capacity to govern”

•What changed: Trump reinstated and expanded a version of “Schedule F,” now called Schedule Policy/Career, letting the White House reclassify more policy‑influencing civil servants and make them easier to remove. OPM finalized rules in February 2026 and began implementation in mid‑2026. Supporters say this boosts accountability; critics warn it politicizes expertise and weakens neutral implementation.[1]

•Why it matters: It can speed presidential control and responsiveness, but risks higher turnover, reduced independence, and performance declines where technical continuity is crucial.[2]

•Independence of agencies and checks/balances

•What changed: The administration more aggressively removed or sought to remove officials at agencies with statutory protections; the Supreme Court temporarily allowed some of those removals to stand pending litigation. That strengthens presidential control but narrows agency independence.[3]

•Laws actually enacted (Congress + President)

•What changed: Several high‑profile laws became public law, including:

•Laken Riley Act (detention of certain noncitizens charged with specified crimes), Jan 29, 2025.[4]

•HALT Fentanyl Act (permanently scheduling fentanyl‑related substances), July 16, 2025.[5]

•Secure America Act (broad immigration enforcement changes), June 2026.[6]

•Productivity picture: Early 2025 saw unusually few new laws; totals rose through 2026, but analysts still describe the 119th Congress as legislatively thin relative to historical norms.[7]

•Crime and public safety outcomes

•What changed: FBI data show a historic nationwide drop in violent crime in 2025 (largest one‑year decline on record; murder rate at mid‑1950s levels), with early 2026 indicators continuing downward. That’s a positive outcome, though experts caution crime trends reflect many factors beyond federal policy.[8]

•Economy, trade, and costs

•What changed: Broad tariff increases begun in 2025 raised the average tariff rate substantially. CBO projects these will modestly raise consumer prices (about 0.8 percentage points on PCE inflation by end‑2026) and weigh on growth by making imports costlier and reducing efficiency. Supporters argue tariffs strengthen domestic industry and bargaining leverage; budget scorers see a drag on long‑run output.[9]

•Democratic norms and public trust

•What changed: Public opinion is divided. In mid‑2026, Pew found many Americans perceive less press freedom and declining ethics in government under Trump; supporters see needed pushback against a hostile “establishment,” while critics see erosion of norms.[10]

A fair synthesis

•If “improving” means tighter presidential control, faster personnel changes, tougher immigration enforcement, and a sharp drop in violent crime, you can point to concrete progress on those fronts.

•If “improving” means strengthening nonpartisan administration, agency independence, bipartisan legislating, and economic efficiency, the record points the other way (more politicization risks, fewer cross‑party laws, and tariffs that CBO says trim growth and raise prices).[11]

If you tell me which dimensions you care about most—efficiency/competence, rule of law and norms, budgets/economy, immigration/border, or public safety—I can give you a tighter, metric‑by‑metric assessment.

Citations (11)

1federalregister.govGovernment
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2025/01/31/2025-02095.html
Backs: “Supporters say this boosts accountability; critics warn it politicizes expertise and weakens neutral implementation.”
2brookings.eduNonprofits and think tanks
The risks of Schedule F for administrative capacity and government accountability | Brookings
Backs: “It can speed presidential control and responsiveness, but risks higher turnover, reduced independence, and performance declines where technical continuity is crucial.”
3everycrsreport.comEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.91
Supreme Court Grants Emergency Motion on President’s Removal Power - EveryCRSReport.com
Backs: “That strengthens presidential control but narrows agency independence.”
4govinfo.govGovernment
Public Law 119 - 1 - Laken Riley Act - PLAW-119publ1 | Content Details | GovInfo
Backs: “Laken Riley Act (detention of certain noncitizens charged with specified crimes), Jan 29, 2025.”
5govinfo.govGovernment
Public Law 119 - 26 - Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act" or the "HALT Fentanyl Act - PLAW-119publ26 | Content Details | GovInfo
Backs: “HALT Fentanyl Act (permanently scheduling fentanyl‑related substances), July 16, 2025.”
6govinfo.govGovernment
Public Law 119 - 98 - Secure America Act - PLAW-119publ98 | Content Details | GovInfo
Backs: “Secure America Act (broad immigration enforcement changes), June 2026.”
7washingtonpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
Congress set records in 2025, some more dubious than others - The Washington Post
Backs: “Early 2025 saw unusually few new laws; totals rose through 2026, but analysts still describe the 119th Congress as legislatively thin relative to historical norms.”
8fbi.govGovernment
Violent Crime Falls at Historic Rate, New FBI Data Show — FBI
Backs: “That’s a positive outcome, though experts caution crime trends reflect many factors beyond federal policy.”
9cbo.govGovernment
The Budget and Economic Outlook: 2026 to 2036 | Congressional Budget Office
Backs: “Supporters argue tariffs strengthen domestic industry and bargaining leverage; budget scorers see a drag on long‑run output.”
10pewresearch.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Americans Value Press Freedom but Differ on Its Limits | Pew Research Center
Backs: “In mid‑2026, Pew found many Americans perceive less press freedom and declining ethics in government under Trump; supporters see needed pushback against a hostile “establishment,” while critics see erosion of norms.”
11govinfo.govGovernment
Federal Register / Vol. 91, No. 25 / Friday, February 6, 2026 / Rules and Regulations 5651
Backs: “If “improving” means strengthening nonpartisan administration, agency independence, bipartisan legislating, and economic efficiency, the record points the other way (more politicization risks, fewer cross‑party laws, and tariffs that CBO says trim growth and raise prices).”