Government Efficiency

Extracted Attributes

• Name

  Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)

• Type

  Government initiative/organization

• Established By

  Second Trump administration

• Stated Objectives

  Modernize information technology, maximize productivity, cut excess regulations and spending

• Establishment Date

  2025-01-20

• Former Designation

  U.S. Digital Service (USDS)

• Current Abbreviation

  United States DOGE Service Temporary Organization (USDS)

• Key Technology Focus

  AI/ML, cloud computing, cybersecurity

• Scheduled Conclusion

  2026-07-04

• Claimed Savings (as of 2025-08-14)

  $205 billion

• Acting Administrator (White House named)

  Amy Gleason

• Estimated Cost (by other government entities)

  $21.7 billion

• Estimated Taxpayer Cost (independent analysis)

  $135 billion

• Predicted Revenue Loss (IRS due to DOGE-driven cuts)

  >$500 billion

• Estimated Deaths from Foreign Aid Cuts (as of 2025-05-30)

  300,000 (mostly children)

Timeline

• Elon Musk suggests the initiative to Donald Trump. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia)

  2024

• Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) officially established by executive order by the second Trump administration. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia, Web Search - Parametric Portfolio)

  2025-01-20

• SSRC President Anna Harvey posts about achieving government efficiency requiring more investment, not less. (Source: Web Search - SSRC)

  2025-02-18

• Government Accountability Office (GAO) publishes 'High-Risk Series: Heightened Attention Could Save Billions More and Improve Government Efficiency and Effectiveness'. (Source: Web Search - Parametric Portfolio)

  2025-02-25

• Elon Musk announces plans to pivot away from DOGE. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia)

  2025-05

• Elon Musk leaves Washington with key personnel (Steve Davis, Katie Miller, James Burnham). (Source: Wikipedia)

  2025-05-30

• Estimated 300,000 deaths, mostly children, linked to DOGE cuts to foreign aid programs. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2025-05-30

• Trump and Musk clash over the 'Big Beautiful Bill'. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2025-06-05

• DOGE claims to have saved $205 billion. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2025-08-14

• United States DOGE Service Temporary Organization is scheduled to conclude. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia)

  2026-07-04

Department of Government Efficiency

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is an initiative by the second Trump administration in the United States. Its stated objective is to modernize information technology, maximize productivity, and cut excess regulations and spending within the federal government. It was first suggested to Donald Trump by Elon Musk in 2024, and was officially established by an executive order on January 20, 2025. Members of DOGE have filled influential roles at federal agencies that granted them enough control of information systems to terminate contracts from agencies targeted by Trump's executive orders, with small businesses bearing the brunt of the cuts. DOGE has facilitated mass layoffs and the dismantling of agencies and government funded organizations. It has also assisted with immigration crackdowns and copied sensitive data from government databases. DOGE's status is unclear. Formerly designated as the U.S. Digital Service, USDS now abbreviates United States DOGE Service and comprises the United States DOGE Service Temporary Organization, scheduled to end on July 4, 2026. Musk has said that DOGE is transparent, while the Supreme Court has exempted it from disclosure. DOGE's actions have been met with opposition and lawsuits. Some critics have warned of a constitutional crisis, while others have likened DOGE's actions to a coup. The White House has claimed lawfulness. The role Musk had with DOGE is also unclear. The White House asserted he was senior advisor to the president, denied he was making decisions, and named Amy Gleason as acting administrator. Trump insisted that Musk headed DOGE. A federal judge found him to be DOGE’s de facto leader, likely needing Senate confirmation under the Appointments Clause. In May 2025, Musk announced plans to pivot away from DOGE; he was working remotely around that time, after compelling federal employees' return to office. Musk left Washington on May 30, soon after his offboarding, along with lieutenant Steve Davis, top adviser Katie Miller, and general counsel James Burnham. Trump had maintained his support for Musk until they clashed on June 5 over the Big Beautiful Bill. His administration reiterated its pledge to the DOGE objective, and Russell Vought testified that DOGE was being "far more institutionalized". As of August 14, 2025, DOGE has claimed to have saved $205 billion, although other government entities have estimated it to have cost the government $21.7 billion. Another independent analysis estimated that DOGE cuts will cost taxpayers $135 billion; the Internal Revenue Service predicted more than $500 billion in revenue loss due to "DOGE-driven" cuts. Journalists found billions of dollars in miscounting. According to critics, DOGE redefined fraud to target federal employees and programs to build political support; budget experts said DOGE cuts were driven more by political ideology than frugality. Musk, DOGE, and the Trump administration have made multiple claims of having discovered significant fraud, many of which have not held up under scrutiny. As of May 30, 2025, according to one researcher's estimate, DOGE cuts to foreign aid programs have led to an 300,000 deaths, mostly of children.

Web Search Results

• The efficiency equation: How DOGE is changing the citizen-state ...

  Yet today, the evolving relationship between citizens and their government has sparked innovative approaches to efficiency and accountability in public administration. The activities of the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), both at federal and state levels, represents a bold experiment in restructuring how government delivers services while managing taxpayer resources. [...] In the evolving landscape of government efficiency initiatives like DOGE, we witness the tangible manifestation of the fundamental citizen-state relationship being renegotiated. The tension between providing adequate services and maintaining reasonable tax burdens continues to shape political discourse across federal and state levels. As these experimental approaches to government efficiency unfold, their success will ultimately be measured not just by cost savings, but by how well they

• What awaits the Department of Government Efficiency? HKS experts ...

  President Trump’s proposed Department of Government Efficiency is aimed at streamlining federal operations, reducing wasteful spending, and enhancing overall efficiency. Already, advocacy groups and politicians are taking sides on what programs should be protected, eliminated, or cut back. Such a debate, if well managed, could in fact produce a valuable contribution to helping our country live within its means while also supporting necessary services and assistance. [...] One of President-elect Trump’s early post-election announcements was designating Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to head an advisory body, a Department of Government Efficiency, to eliminate waste, promote efficiency and reduce government spending. [...] Trump’s attack is two-pronged. He has asked Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead a Department of Government Efficiency, which is expected to save trillions by identifying waste and abuse, cutting regulations, eliminating programs, and dismantling agencies. But DOGE must rely on exposure, public relations, and the president’s bully pulpit, as it has no governmental authority to effectuate change.

• Three considerations for driving government efficiency

  Enhancing government efficiency is possible by strategically integrating AI/ML, cloud computing, cybersecurity and other emerging technologies. The administration can streamline operations and fortify national security against evolving threats by fostering public-private partnerships and embracing a data-driven approach. Deregulation could empower innovation and ensure that the government is well-equipped to navigate the complexities of the digital age, driving progress and competitiveness in [...] If we are to take anything from the first quarter of the new administration, it’s that government efficiency is the key priority. Technology needs to play a pivotal role in making it a reality. [...] There are three primary ways the new administration can increase efficiency through technology: modernizing legacy IT, streamlining operations and improving interagency collaboration. The Trump White House already has plans to conduct a comprehensive review of existing government structures and processes to identify redundancies, outdated IT systems, and inefficient department practices. To succeed, the administration must leverage several key technologies, including artificial intelligence,

• Achieving Government Efficiency Requires More, Not Less, Investment

  Government efficiency doesn’t mean that the government does less. It means that the government does more for every dollar it spends. ### Investing in R&D Increases Efficiency [...] It would certainly be easier if we could achieve government efficiency simply by cutting government spending. But thinking that government efficiency can be achieved just by reducing public spending is like thinking that we can make cars more efficient just by giving them less gas. Filling your car’s gas tank only half full won’t make your car any more efficient. It just makes it less useful. Anna Harvey SSRC President View all President’s Desk Posts Posted February 18, 2025 [...] energy input. In the context of the efficiency of organizations, including governments, this version of efficiency was translated as “output per unit cost of the resources employed” (Arthur Seldon and F.G. Pennance, Everyman’s Dictionary of Economics, 1965). A more efficient organization produces more units of output for each unit of cost. A more efficient government produces more public goods and services (health, education, safety, infrastructure, etc.) for each dollar of public funds spent.

• DOGE: How Improved Government Efficiency Missed the Target

  Streamlining government spending is a worthy cause in the effort to establish a more sustainable budget. Let’s review the progress of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and outline some areas for improvement. [...] 1 Congressional Budget Office. The Budget and Economic Outlook: 2025 to 2035, January 2025. 2 Government Accountability Office. High-Risk Series: Heightened Attention Could Save Billions More and Improve Government Efficiency and Effectiveness, February 25, 2025. 3 The White House. Establishing and Implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency,” January 20, 2025. [...] To improve efficiency, the GAO has identified a total of 38 areas. The most critical are enhancing tax collection, reducing costs for high value procurements, rightsizing federal real estate holdings and upgrading technology. Solutions for today’s complex interest rate environment Learn more