Is Donald Trump improving the US government?

This is a subjective and highly debated political question that doesn't have a single factual answer—it depends on one's values, priorities, and which policies or outcomes one weighs most heavily. I can give you a balanced overview of what's actually happening, based on current information, and you can draw your own conclusions.## It depends on what you value and who you ask—there's no neutral "yes/no" answer. Here's what the data shows:

Public Opinion: Approval Has Declined

Trump started his second term with the second lowest approval rating at the start of a presidential term in polling history, second only to his own first term. Since then, throughout 2025 to 2026, Trump's approval rating has steadily declined to an average of 36 to 37%. By August 2026, Trump was the second most unpopular president at this stage of his presidency in the history of polling going back to the 1940s. As of October 2026, independent polling averages show 37.3% approve / 60.3% disapprove (net -23.0).

Notably, the erosion hasn't come mainly from Democrats (who never supported him), but from his own coalition: The decrease in Trump's approval ratings during his current administration has primarily come from Republicans and Republican-leaning independents: Today, 69% approve of the way Trump is handling his job as president, down from 84% in February 2025. Brookings noted that the groups that shifted toward Trump during the 2024 election—especially Hispanics, independents, and young adults—are expressing their disappointment with his performance.

What Supporters Point to as Wins

The administration's own account highlights a surging economy with record jobs and growth, ironclad border security slashing illegal crossings, and bold investments fueling AI and tech innovation. Independent analysts also note genuine legislative and policy accomplishments: passing major tax legislation, ending the war between Israel and Hamas, and slowing illegal border crossings to a trickle. On deregulation and taxes, the administration emphasized tax cuts and tax‑burden reductions, including maintaining lower individual and corporate tax rates from his first term, pushing additional targeted tax incentives for domestic production, and pairing those with deregulatory moves that reduce compliance costs for businesses.

What Critics Point to as Failures

Despite the wins, Brookings concluded the beginning of Trump's second term has not been a political success. What has gone wrong? Two structural problems were identified: the president's focus has not been aligned with what the American people regard as the most important issues facing the country. Fully 50% of Americans pick one of three issues—inflation and high prices, jobs and the economy, or health care—as their top concern. By contrast, a total of just 21% select one of the issues—immigration, crime, taxes and government spending, or foreign policy—to which Trump has devoted most of his energy and attention. Additionally, regardless of whether Americans agree or disagree with the president's objectives, majorities believe that he has gone too far in pursuing them.

On the economy specifically—arguably the top concern—one economic analysis argued that President Trump's actions may have undermined his stated goal to "Make America Great Again" with low inflation and high rates of growth and employment. Instead, the policies seem more likely to deliver additional frustration and disappointment for most Americans. Inflation data supports this: Inflation has continued to run around 3%, significantly above the Federal Reserve's 2% target.

Governance Style Concerns

A significant structural critique centers on how power is being used, not just policy outcomes. Early in the term, 51% of U.S. adults say he is setting too much policy via executive order. The administration has also seen major institutional friction: a historic government shutdown also closed federal agencies for 43 days and temporarily stalled the implementation of the administration's deregulatory agenda for most agencies.

Mixed/Contested Areas

Health policy shows disputed outcomes—vaccine policy changes have drawn pushback from medical groups, and cuts to foreign aid programs have raised public health concerns according to some analyses. Trade policy (tariffs) is similarly polarizing: supporters frame it as reshoring manufacturing, while 70% of Americans disapproved of increased tariffs in early polling.

Bottom line: By the traditional metric of public approval, Trump's standing has weakened significantly, including among his own 2024 coalition—largely because economic concerns (inflation, cost of living) haven't been resolved to voters' satisfaction, even as the administration touts tax cuts, deregulation, and border security as successes. Whether this constitutes "improving" government depends heavily on which outcomes and values you prioritize. I'd encourage looking at multiple sources across the political spectrum to form your own judgment.