Is Donald Trump improving the US government?

Short answer: It’s mixed and depends on what you mean by “improving.” Since January 20, 2025, the Trump administration has made sweeping changes to how the executive branch is staffed and regulated, but on broad governance indicators (budget stability, shutdowns, and public trust), performance has not clearly improved.

What changed

•Civil service structure: President Trump revived and expanded policies to reclassify some policy‑influencing federal jobs outside the competitive civil service, making them easier to hire and fire. DoD’s personnel office summarizes these 2025–2026 executive orders; GAO also documents significant staffing changes at OPM over 2025–2026. Supporters say this boosts accountability; critics warn it politicizes the merit system.[1]

•Regulatory policy: A new 10‑to‑1 “deregulatory budget” was established (Executive Order 14192), tightening OMB/OIRA control over agency rules. Separately, the Supreme Court’s June 28, 2024 Loper Bright decision ended Chevron deference, reducing courts’ deference to agencies—shifting power away from the bureaucracy and complicating rulemaking. Whether this yields more effective governance or more legal gridlock is actively debated.[2]

Key results so far

•Fiscal management: Federal deficits remained very large—CBO places the FY2025–FY2026 deficit near 5.8% of GDP—so there’s no clear improvement in fiscal sustainability yet.[3]

•Continuity of operations: The U.S. had a 42‑day shutdown from October 1 to November 12, 2025, and another partial shutdown from January 31 to February 3, 2026—events generally seen as disruptions to effective government.[4]

•Public trust: Pew reports trust in the federal government remained very low as of mid‑2026, similar to recent years—so no evident improvement on this dimension.[5]

•Oversight and vacancies: GAO has flagged Vacancies Act compliance issues for certain watchdog posts in 2026, suggesting ongoing challenges staffing key accountability roles.[6]

Bottom line: If by “improving” you mean centralizing presidential control and accelerating deregulation, then yes—the administration has advanced that agenda. If you mean higher public trust, fewer shutdowns, or stronger long‑run fiscal footing, the data to date (through October 1, 2026) do not show clear improvement.

If you tell me which aspects of “improvement” you care most about—efficiency, nonpartisanship, fiscal health, service delivery, oversight—I can dig deeper on those.

Citations (6)

1osd.milGovernment
Executive Orders And Presidential Memorandums | DCPAS
Backs: “Supporters say this boosts accountability; critics warn it politicizes the merit system.”
2epa.govGovernment
Executive Order 14192 - Unleashing Prosperity through Deregulation | US EPA
Backs: “Whether this yields more effective governance or more legal gridlock is actively debated.”
3house.govGovernment
CBO Baseline February 2026
Backs: “Federal deficits remained very large—CBO places the FY2025–FY2026 deficit near 5.8% of GDP—so there’s no clear improvement in fiscal sustainability yet.”
4everycrsreport.comEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.91
Federal Funding Gaps: A Brief Overview - EveryCRSReport.com
Backs: “The U.S. had a 42‑day shutdown from October 1 to November 12, 2025, and another partial shutdown from January 31 to February 3, 2026—events generally seen as disruptions to effective government.”
5pewresearch.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Low trust in federal government across Americans’ engagement levels | Pew Research Center
Backs: “Pew reports trust in the federal government remained very low as of mid‑2026, similar to recent years—so no evident improvement on this dimension.”
6gao.govGovernment
Violation of the Time Limit Imposed by the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998: Inspector General, Department of Education | U.S. GAO
Backs: “GAO has flagged Vacancies Act compliance issues for certain watchdog posts in 2026, suggesting ongoing challenges staffing key accountability roles.”