Is Donald Trump improving the US government?

Short answer: It depends what you mean by “improving.” Here’s a concise, evidence‑based snapshot as of October 17, 2026.

Areas supporters point to as improvement

•Macroeconomy: Real GDP grew at a 2.2% annual rate in 2026 Q2; unemployment was 4.2% in September; inflation ran 3.7% year‑over‑year in September. That’s moderate growth with low‑to‑mid single‑digit inflation.[1]

•Streamlining and deregulation: The administration’s regulatory agenda emphasizes reducing or rolling back rules; outside trackers note relatively low significant rule counts versus prior years.[2]

•Some service delivery metrics: USPS reports on‑time performance gains in several mail categories this year compared with last.[3]

Areas critics cite as harm or backsliding

•Fiscal health: CBO estimates the federal deficit was about $2.0 trillion in FY2026, up from FY2025—worsening long‑term debt dynamics.[4]

•Civil service politicization and workforce disruption: The administration reinstated and expanded a version of “Schedule F” (now “Schedule Policy/Career”), altering protections for policy‑influencing roles; it also ordered a government‑wide return to full‑time in‑person work. Proponents argue this boosts accountability; opponents say it erodes merit‑based norms and capacity.[5]

•Federal workforce morale: With OPM’s usual 2025 government‑wide survey canceled, the Partnership for Public Service’s independent 2025 survey reported a steep drop in employee engagement (index 32/100), suggesting degraded organizational health.[6]

•Mixed service outcomes: IRS filing‑season reviews show higher call wait times and lower phone service levels in 2026 than 2025, despite solid return processing—indicating uneven customer experience.[7]

•Public trust: Surveys continue to show very low trust in the federal government across engagement levels.[8]

Bottom line

•If “improving” means faster economic growth with less red tape, you’ll find evidence to say yes.

•If it means stronger fiscal sustainability, nonpartisan administrative capacity, and higher public/employee confidence, recent indicators point the other way.

If you tell me which dimensions you care about—economy, deficits, civil‑service norms, service delivery, or democratic governance—I can go deeper on those with the latest data.

Citations (8)

1bea.govGovernment
Gross Domestic Product | U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
Backs: “That’s moderate growth with low‑to‑mid single‑digit inflation.”
2gwu.eduAcademic
Trump's 2026 Unified Agenda | Regulatory Studies Center | Trachtenberg School of Public Policy & Public Administration | Columbian College of Arts & Sciences | The George Washington University
Backs: “The administration’s regulatory agenda emphasizes reducing or rolling back rules; outside trackers note relatively low significant rule counts versus prior years.”
3usps.comNot yet classified
https://about.usps.com/what/performance/service-performance/fy2026-q2-single-piece-first-class-mail-quarterly-performance.html
Backs: “USPS reports on‑time performance gains in several mail categories this year compared with last.”
4cbo.govGovernment
Monthly Budget Review: September 2026 | Congressional Budget Office
Backs: “CBO estimates the federal deficit was about $2.0 trillion in FY2026, up from FY2025—worsening long‑term debt dynamics.”
5govinfo.govGovernment
Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 180 (Friday, September 18, 2026)
Backs: “Proponents argue this boosts accountability; opponents say it erodes merit‑based norms and capacity.”
6ourpublicservice.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Partnership for Public Service survey finds Trump administration failing to effectively manage government, federal workers’ ability to serve the public significantly worse than a year ago - Partnership for Public Service
Backs: “With OPM’s usual 2025 government‑wide survey canceled, the Partnership for Public Service’s independent 2025 survey reported a steep drop in employee engagement (index 32/100), suggesting degraded organizational health.”
7gao.govGovernment
2026 Filing Season: Preliminary Observations on IRS Performance | U.S. GAO
Backs: “IRS filing‑season reviews show higher call wait times and lower phone service levels in 2026 than 2025, despite solid return processing—indicating uneven customer experience.”
8pewresearch.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Low trust in federal government across Americans’ engagement levels | Pew Research Center
Backs: “Surveys continue to show very low trust in the federal government across engagement levels.”