Is Donald Trump improving the US government?

Is Trump's government getting more efficient? I'll gather current data on his administration's reforms and performance.

Whether the Trump administration is improving the U.S. government depends on the metrics used. The administration and independent assessments point to different conclusions:

What the administration claims as improvements

The White House describes its first two years of the second term as "the most consequential stretch of governing in modern American history" and lists government reform as a central achievement:

•Government efficiency reforms have "already saved an estimated $215 billion — about $1,335 per taxpayer — and shrunk the federal workforce to its lowest level since 1966". A separate White House page repeats the same figure: government efficiency efforts have "saved an estimated $215 billion, equivalent to $1,335 per U.S. taxpayer".

•The administration also points to deregulation, including revoking the Obama-era Endangerment Finding described as worth $1.3 trillion and a government-wide deregulatory mandate "projected to save the U.S. economy $1.5 trillion in FY2026 alone".

•Other cited reforms include creating the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to maximize productivity, developing “retire.opm.gov” to automate federal retirements, and increasing in-office work by 30% in the second quarter of 2025.

What independent reviews and watchdogs report

•Cost of workforce reductions: The Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimated the administration "spent $9.5 billion on paid administrative leave for federal workers as part of its plan to shrink the government", a "sixfold increase in paid leave salary costs compared to 2023". The GAO found use of paid leave "increased by 435% from 2023 to 2025", with "about $6.7 billion" coming from the Deferred Resignation Program that allowed workers who agreed to quit in early 2025 to be paid through September.

•Effectiveness of services: The nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service released a report on the first anniversary of the second inauguration "assessing the impacts of his administration's federal workforce reductions, concluding that they have decreased the effectiveness of government services, not achieved stated efficiency goals and were conducted with minimal transparency". The report characterized the first year as "the most radical transformation of the federal government in over a half-century".

•The Partnership argued cuts at agencies like the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "have made the U.S. less prepared for a future 9/11 terrorist attack, Hurricane Katrina or COVID-19 pandemic".

•It also noted that "government spending increased between fiscal 2024 and 2025", despite the cost-cutting rationale.

Public opinion

Polling shows divided and declining approval of the administration's handling of government:

•At the start of the second term approval was 47%, then "steadily declined to an average of 36 to 37%" through 2025-2026. By end of August 2026, averages showed "41% approval. Fifty-six percent of voters disapproved".

•A Washington Post poll cited in reporting found "63% of Americans disapprove of Trump's 'handling of the federal government.'"

In short, supporters point to workforce shrinkage, claimed savings, and deregulation as improvements in efficiency and size of government, while critics point to upfront costs, service disruptions, and increased spending as evidence efficiency has not improved.

Citations (2)

1whitehouse.govGovernment
President Trump Delivers Historic Results for the American People in Under Two Years
Backs: “The administration and independent assessments point to different conclusions: What the administration claims as improvements. The White House describes its first two years of the second term as "the most consequential stretch of governing in modern American history" and lists government reform as a central…”
2govexec.comNews and mediaquality 0.87
‘Harder days ahead in 2026’: Good government group predicts increased political interference in the civil service in Trump’s second year
Backs: “The GAO found use of paid leave "increased by 435% from 2023 to 2025", with "about $6.7 billion" coming from the Deferred Resignation Program that allowed workers who agreed to quit in early 2025 to be paid through September. Effectiveness of services: The nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service released a report…”