Is Donald Trump improving the US government?

Short answer: it depends on what “improve” means to you. On some dimensions the Trump administration shows measurable changes; on others, key indicators have worsened or remain mixed.

A few objective yardsticks as of October 20, 2026:

•Fiscal sustainability: The federal deficit for FY2026 was about $2.0 trillion, larger than in FY2025, and CBO’s outlook still shows debt on a rising path. That’s not an improvement in the government’s finances.[1]

•Macroeconomy: The labor market is steady-to-cooling (unemployment 4.2% in September 2026), and GDP growth in 2026 has been modest rather than booming. Those are decent-but-not-spectacular management outcomes.[2]

•Civil service/government management: The administration has moved to reclassify some policy-influencing federal jobs (often called “Schedule F” previously, now “Schedule Policy/Career”), making those positions easier to hire and fire. Supporters say this improves accountability and performance; critics warn it politicizes the career service. The policy has been advanced via executive order and OPM rulemaking.[3]

•Regulation/administrative burden: The White House revived a regulatory-budget approach (one-in, many-out) and says agencies are delivering large cost “savings.” Independent analysts caution that agency accounting can overstate savings and mix guidance reversals with substantive rule changes. Net effect on service quality and long-run performance is still debated.[4]

•Public trust and institutional confidence: Broad trust in the federal government remains near historic lows, which makes it harder for any administration to claim institutional “improvement” in a legitimacy sense.[5]

Context: Donald Trump is the 47th U.S. president, inaugurated on January 20, 2025, so the relevant yardsticks are developments since then.[6]

If you tell me which outcomes you care about most—budget discipline, agency performance, regulation, immigration/border operations, foreign policy, courts, or something else—I can go deeper on those results and trade-offs.

Citations (6)

1cbo.govGovernment
Monthly Budget Review: September 2026 | Congressional Budget Office
Backs: “The federal deficit for FY2026 was about $2.0 trillion, larger than in FY2025, and CBO’s outlook still shows debt on a rising path. That’s not an improvement in the government’s finances.”
2bls.govGovernment
Employment Situation News Release - 2026 M09 Results
Backs: “The labor market is steady-to-cooling (unemployment 4.2% in September 2026), and GDP growth in 2026 has been modest rather than booming. Those are decent-but-not-spectacular management outcomes.”
3thefederalregister.orgLow provenance
Employment in the Excepted Service | 91 FR 59076
Backs: “The policy has been advanced via executive order and OPM rulemaking.”
4reginfo.govGovernment
https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaEO14192
Backs: “Net effect on service quality and long-run performance is still debated.”
5pewresearch.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Public Trust in Government: 1958-2025 | Pew Research Center
Backs: “Broad trust in the federal government remains near historic lows, which makes it harder for any administration to claim institutional “improvement” in a legitimacy sense.”
6usa.govGovernment
Presidents, vice presidents, and first ladies | USAGov
Backs: “Donald Trump is the 47th U.S. president, inaugurated on January 20, 2025, so the relevant yardsticks are developments since then.”