Your question touches on current politics — I'll gather recent data on Trump's government reforms to give you a balanced answer.
Whether Donald Trump is improving the US government depends on how "improving" is measured - supporters and critics point to different metrics.
What the administration and supporters point to
The White House describes its work as historic reforms focused on efficiency, deregulation, and border security:
•Government efficiency savings: Government efficiency efforts have saved an estimated $215 billion, equivalent to $1,335 per U.S. taxpayer. A September 2026 White House summary said those reforms have already saved an estimated $215 billion — about $1,335 per taxpayer — and shrunk the federal workforce to its lowest level since 1966.
•Smaller federal workforce: President Trump shrunk the federal bureaucracy by 10% in 2025, providing a much-need reduction in force following massive federal workforce expansion under Biden.
•Deregulation: The White House highlights that President Trump revoked the Obama-era Endangerment Finding — the single-largest deregulatory action in American history, worth $1.3 trillion, and that President Trump’s government-wide deregulatory mandate is projected to save the U.S. economy $1.5 trillion in FY2026 alone. Other items listed include cutting 129 regulations for every 1 new rule issued.
•Border and immigration: The administration states the U.S. recorded negative net migration in 2025 for the first time in at least half a century, and that more than three million migrants have left the country in President Trump’s second term — the largest reduction in illegal immigration in modern history.
•Other claimed reforms: Administration pages describe actions to eliminate wasteful spending and restore transparency, automate federal retirements, force return-to-office with a 30% increase in in-office work in Q2 2025, and shut down programs like the American Climate Corps.
Supporters argue these steps reduce waste, make government smaller and work for taxpayers, lower regulatory burdens for businesses, and restore border control.
What critics and watchdog groups point to
Nonpartisan good-government groups and other critics argue the changes have reduced government effectiveness:
•On the first anniversary of President Donald Trump’s second inauguration, the Partnership for Public Service released a report 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 group characterized the first year as "the most radical transformation of the federal government in over a half-century." Its authors argued that workforce 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.
•The report also emphasized that reorganizations at the Social Security Administration have strained customer service functions and reductions at the National Weather Service have hurt its ability to maintain 24/7 forecasting operations.
•The Partnership contended that the administration failed to improve efficiency, noting government spending increased between fiscal 2024 and 2025.
•A separate Partnership estimate said The Trump administration’s reforms to the federal government cost the U.S. economy more than $165.6 billion.
•The group and other critics also warned of increased political interference in the civil service, including concerns about Schedule Policy/Career and other changes that could remove civil service protections and put added political influence on the civil service. Its president warned: “As challenging as 2025 was, I think we can expect even harder days ahead in 2026”.
Critics also dispute the savings figures as overstated and argue that rapid cuts could damage essential services, while spending has not fallen despite workforce cuts.
What public opinion polling shows
Polling at the end of 2025 showed mixed and largely negative public views on average:
•Ballotpedia’s polling average showed President Donald Trump at 42% approval, the lowest of his second term with 55% disapproving.
•RealClearPolling averages cited at year-end put him at 43.4% approval and 53.3% disapproval.
•A Partnership for Public Service series of polls found overall, 39 percent said they support “the changes to the government made by the Trump administration” and 52 percent oppose.
Bottom line
•If improvement is measured by smaller federal workforce, claimed cost savings, deregulation totals, and tighter border enforcement, the administration argues it is delivering improvement.
•If improvement is measured by service delivery, preparedness, spending levels, transparency, and maintaining a nonpartisan merit-based civil service, watchdog reports conclude effectiveness has decreased.
Many evaluations therefore depend on which outcomes a person prioritizes.