Short answer: it’s mixed, and it depends on what you mean by “improving.”
What has clearly changed since January 20, 2025
•Civil‑service rules: Trump reinstated a version of “Schedule F” (renamed Schedule Policy/Career) to let the president reclassify certain policy‑influencing career roles and make them easier to remove. OPM then finalized regulations to implement it in 2026. Supporters say this increases accountability; critics warn it politicizes the career service.[1]
•Workforce management: The administration imposed a government‑wide hiring freeze on Jan 20, 2025 and later extended/modified it, plus ordered a broad return to in‑person work. Agencies’ ability to fill vacancies has been tightly constrained.[2]
•Deregulatory push: The White House issued a regulatory freeze on day one and launched new deregulatory directives reviving elements of the prior “regulatory budget/two‑for‑one” approach and streamlining rule rollbacks. Backers argue this cuts red tape; legal scholars and practitioners note the scope and speed are unusually aggressive.[3]
•Continuity of operations: The federal government experienced a 43‑day shutdown (Oct 1–Nov 12, 2025), the longest on record, which paused many services and, per nonpartisan analysis, temporarily reduced output with some unrecoverable lost work hours.[4]
•Employee morale and capacity: OPM canceled the 2025 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, and the Partnership for Public Service’s substitute survey reported notably worse workforce engagement and perceived management effectiveness than a year prior. That suggests friction inside agencies even as the White House seeks tighter control.[5]
Does this amount to “improvement”?
•If you define improvement as stronger presidential control, faster policy execution, and fewer regulatory constraints, the administration has made significant headway. The Schedule Policy/Career framework and deregulatory directives are designed to make agencies more responsive to the elected executive.[1]
•If you define improvement as steadier service delivery, higher public trust, and durable institutional capacity, the evidence cuts the other way. Public trust was near historic lows in late 2025, the long shutdown disrupted operations, and workforce engagement indicators worsened after the 2025 survey cancellation. Budget pressures also remain heavy, with CBO projecting a roughly $1.9 trillion federal deficit in FY2026 under current law.[6]
Bottom line: Trump has increased top‑down control and pursued aggressive deregulation and workforce changes that advocates see as making government more accountable to elected leadership. At the same time, the prolonged shutdown, constrained hiring, and declining trust/engagement metrics point to costs in day‑to‑day performance and institutional health. If you tell me which dimension you care about—service delivery, civil‑service norms, regulation, deficits, immigration enforcement, etc.—I can drill down with specifics.
Backs: “The federal government experienced a 43‑day shutdown (Oct 1–Nov 12, 2025), the longest on record, which paused many services and, per nonpartisan analysis, temporarily reduced output with some unrecoverable lost work hours.”