Is Donald Trump improving the US government?

Is Trump streamlining the government? I'll search for recent assessments of his second-term reforms.

Whether the Trump Administration has improved the U.S. government depends on how "improvement" is measured, and assessments differ sharply.

What the Administration and supporters point to

The White House describes the period since January 20, 2025 as historic governing:

> In less than two years, President Donald J. Trump has driven the most consequential stretch of governing in modern American history.He inherited a disaster — and turned it into a historic comeback. President Trump sealed the border, drove violent crime to historic lows, unleashed American energy

Specific claims include:

•Government downsizing and deregulation: The administration's government-wide deregulatory mandate is projected to save the U.S. economy $1.5 trillion in FY2026 alone, and its 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.

•Creation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE): On his first day in office Trump signed an executive order renaming the U.S. Digital Service as the U.S. DOGE Service and directed that DOGE be established within the Executive Office of the President. The stated goal was to cut waste, reduce bureaucracy and cut regulations, with an ambitious goal of $2 trillion in federal spending reductions.

•Workforce reduction: According to the federal jobs report, the government has shed roughly 271,000 civilian positions in the past year, putting the administration within striking distance of its stated goal to cut 300,000 federal jobs. Other analyses put the reduction at about 12% or about 270,000 jobs, largely through a Deferred Resignation Program.

The White House also points to a high volume of executive actions, including what it describes as 20 major deregulatory actions projected to save over $220 billion annually.

What independent and critical assessments point to

Nonpartisan oversight groups and polling provide a different evaluation:

•Partnership for Public Service: On the first anniversary of the second inauguration, the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service released a report assessing the impacts of the 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 characterizes the first year as "the most radical transformation of the federal government in over a half-century."

It also noted that government spending increased between fiscal 2024 and 2025, undermining claims of overall fiscal efficiency, and that reorganizations at agencies like the Social Security Administration have strained customer service functions.

•Federal employee survey: After the Office of Personnel Management cancelled the annual Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, the Partnership conducted its own Public Service Viewpoint Survey in late 2025. The government-wide Employee Engagement and Satisfaction Index Score was only 32 out of 100, and over half (58.2%) said their engagement has gotten worse since late 2024. More than twice as many employees reported that agency performance and service delivery have gotten worse rather than better over the past year.

Only 7.5% of employees agreed that political leaders generate high levels of motivation in the workforce.

•DOGE savings questioned: Despite a promise of $2 trillion in savings, DOGE fell short, claiming to have saved $215 billion, and experts have questioned these savings, with some concluding that DOGE actually cost the government money.

•Public opinion polling in late 2025: Approval polling averages showed President Donald Trump at 42% approval, the lowest of his second term, with 55 percent disapproving. A New York Times/Siena poll tracked disapproval at 54% and approval at 43%, and a Fox News poll found nearly two-thirds, 64%, calling administration efforts to identify and cut wasteful spending only fair or poor.

Overall assessment

Independent summaries note that the record shows clear activity and selective successes, but it lacks independent, comprehensive assessments needed to conclude definitively that the country is overall "improved" since 2025 under this administration.

Supporters define improvement as smaller government, deregulation, border enforcement and claimed cost savings. Critics define improvement as effective service delivery, institutional capacity, and workforce morale, where metrics have declined.

If you have a specific area of government you want to evaluate — for example, border security, federal spending, regulatory burden, or agency service delivery — that allows for a more concrete answer with data.

Citations (3)

1whitehouse.govGovernment
President Trump Delivers Historic Results for the American People in Under Two Years
Backs: “What the Administration and supporters point to. The White House describes the period since January 20, 2025 as historic governing: In less than two years, President Donald J.”
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: “What independent and critical assessments point to. Nonpartisan oversight groups and polling provide a different evaluation: Partnership for Public Service: On the first anniversary of the second inauguration, the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service released a report assessing the impacts of the federal workforce…”
3ourpublicservice.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
Backs: “Federal employee survey: After the Office of Personnel Management cancelled the annual Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, the Partnership conducted its own Public Service Viewpoint Survey in late 2025. The government-wide Employee Engagement and Satisfaction Index Score was only 32 out of 100, and over half (58.2%)…”