Is Donald Trump improving the US government?

Is Trump improving the U.S. government? I'll survey current measures and analysis to give you a balanced picture.

Whether Donald Trump is improving the U.S. government depends on how "improving" is defined - and assessments are sharply divided along partisan and expert lines.

What supporters point to as improvements

The Trump administration frames its second-term agenda as reversing decline, streamlining government, protecting borders and restoring manufacturing.

Supporters highlight:

•Government efficiency / DOGE: The White House says government efficiency efforts have saved an estimated $215 billion, equivalent to $1,335 per U.S. taxpayer. Other administration-linked claims include more than $60 billion in federal contract savings since January 2025, and that the Department of Government Efficiency has cut federal grants, leases and contracts.

•Smaller bureaucracy and deregulation: The administration states it shrunk the federal bureaucracy by 10% in 2025, increased the percentage of federal employees working in-office by 30% in the second quarter of 2025, and has cut 129 regulations for every 1 new rule it's issued. It also developed "retire.opm.gov" to automate federal retirements.

•Policy priorities: Supporters of Trump often highlight his focus on tax cuts, deregulation, and a strong emphasis on domestic manufacturing and border security. Supporters argue tax relief extensions and deregulation will catalyze investment and make the U.S. more resilient.

On immigration and border security, an area often cited as a government improvement, nearly half of Americans, 45 percent, say Trump has helped immigration and border security "a lot" or "a little" in his second term. Polling also found most U.S. adults approve of Trump's approach to border security, compared to only about 4 in 10 who approved in 2019.

Conservative analysis generally holds that the second term has been more effectively implemented because the administration entered with a larger pool of vetted personnel and clearer legal frameworks.

What critics and polling indicate

National polling in 2025-2026 shows declining public approval:

•Pew Research Center found in January 2026 that Trump's approval rating stands at 37%, down from 40% in the fall, with 50% saying the administration's actions have been worse than they expected rather than better 21%, and only about a quarter saying they support all or most of his policies.

•Other polls put approval even lower: a Reuters/Ipsos poll released September 21, 2026 put approval at 32 percent, down from 47 percent at the start of the second term in January 2025, an Economist/YouGov survey put approval at 33%, and an American Research Group poll put it at 29%.

On confidence in governing:

•Pew found just 21% are extremely or very confident Trump acts ethically in office, while 60% express little or no confidence, and only 25% are confident he respects democratic values or picks good advisers.

•Only 27% say they support all or most of his plans, down from 35% at the start of the term, and 47% now say Trump will be an unsuccessful president in the long term.

Critics also point to institutional concerns:

•A joint Bright Line Watch / UCLA survey of federal judges, elite lawyers and law professors found the rule of law in the United States has deteriorated to its lowest level in at least a decade under Trump's second term, with politicized law enforcement, dysfunctional separation of powers, and executive overreach perceived.

•Ninety-four percent of the legal experts surveyed, including 73% of those who identify as legal conservatives, rate President Trump's second term as more threatening to the rule of law than his first term.

•An overwhelming majority, including 94% of elite lawyers, say the administration has used the Department of Justice to go after political enemies.

On the economy - a key measure of government performance:

•Real GDP declined at an annualized rate of roughly 0.6 percent in the first quarter of 2025.

•Since the start of the second term, the U.S. manufacturing sector has lost 102,000 jobs.

•The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projected Trump's signature 2025 tax-and-spend law to add roughly $3.4 trillion to federal deficits over a decade. Other analyses estimated extending Trump-era tax cuts would reduce federal revenue by roughly $4.5 trillion over 2025-2034.

Critics argue the administration is reshaping government not through thoughtful reform, but through disruption and disregard for traditional limits on presidential power.

Summary

•If "improving" means reducing federal workforce size, cutting regulations, renegotiating contracts, increasing in-office work, and tightening border security, the administration and its supporters cite measurable actions and claimed savings to argue it is improving.

•If "improving" means maintaining public trust, approval, ethical confidence, rule-of-law norms, fiscal balance, and broad economic stability, polling and expert surveys in 2026 show deterioration on those metrics compared to the start of the term.

Public opinion is therefore split, with approval and confidence lower than at the beginning of the second term, but with continued support for specific areas like border security and deregulation among supporters.

Citations (3)

1whitehouse.govGovernment
Reform Government (DOGE) – The White House
Backs: “The Trump administration frames its second-term agenda as reversing decline, streamlining government, protecting borders and restoring manufacturing. Supporters highlight: Government efficiency / DOGE: The White House says government efficiency efforts have saved an estimated $215 billion, equivalent to $1,335 per U.S.”
2pewresearch.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Confidence in Trump Dips in 2026, and Fewer Now Say They Support His Policies and Plans | Pew Research Center
Backs: “Conservative analysis generally holds that the second term has been more effectively implemented because the administration entered with a larger pool of vetted personnel and clearer legal frameworks. What critics and polling indicate. National polling in 2025-2026 shows declining public approval: Pew Research Center…”
3dartmouth.eduAcademic
Legal Experts Say Rule of Law Has Hit a 10-Year Low | Dartmouth
Backs: “Only 27% say they support all or most of his plans, down from 35% at the start of the term, and 47% now say Trump will be an unsuccessful president in the long term. Critics also point to institutional concerns: A joint Bright Line Watch / UCLA survey of federal judges, elite lawyers and law professors found the rule…”