Former President Donald Trump and his appointed budget-cutting strategist, Elon Musk, are advocating for significant reductions in the size of the federal government—a move not seen since World War II, with a few exceptions. Traditionally, presidents from both political parties have increased federal employment numbers.
Key Points
– Job Cuts: Starting Thursday, the government will terminate up to 200,000 workers who are still in their probationary period and have less than a year of service. This adds to the approximately 75,000 civil servants who accepted voluntary buyouts initiated by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
– Potential Shrinkage: If the 3.02 million federal workforce (excluding 1.3 million active military members) is reduced by 275,000 or more during Trump’s anticipated second term, it would place his presidency among the few that have successfully decreased federal positions.
– Historical Context: Of the 14 presidents since World War II, only six (including Trump during his first term) managed to reduce the number of federal employees. Notable reductions were made by Harry Truman (566,000), Bill Clinton (339,000), and Dwight Eisenhower (170,000). Truman’s cuts came as the country transitioned back to a peacetime economy, while Clinton’s were part of a broader initiative to streamline government operations.
– Growth in Federal Workforce: Conversely, the largest expansions in the federal workforce occurred under Lyndon B. Johnson (440,000 jobs added due to the Vietnam War), Ronald Reagan (197,000), and Joe Biden (138,000).
Party Influence on Workforce Changes
Despite claims from Musk and Trump that government expansion originated from “radical” leftist policies, historical data shows a complex relationship. Since Truman, Republican presidents have seen a net increase of 8,000 jobs, while Democrats have caused a net decline of 68,000. Since Jimmy Carter’s administration, the federal workforce has declined by 64,000 under Democratic presidents and increased by 237,000 under Republican leaders.
Noteworthy Statistics
– Job Increase During Trump’s first term: The Trump administration added 73,000 civil servant jobs, placing him in the middle tier regarding federal workforce expansion among presidents.
Surprising Insight
The size of the federal workforce today is nearly identical to levels when Truman took office, with total employment standing at 3.02 million compared to 3.09 million in April 1945, despite the U.S. population more than doubling in size.
Additional Information
Trump and Musk are also targeting substantial cuts to federal grants and contracts. An executive order by Trump aimed to suspend grant funding, though it faced legal challenges. Musk’s DOGE has highlighted the cancellation of over $1 billion in contracts deemed unnecessary. This move could impact a growing segment of the federal workforce reliant on these grants and contracts, which have increased from 50.1% to 66.5% of the federal workforce from 1984 to 2023.
