Government Reform Commissions: From Hoover to DOGE

Former President Herbert Hoover led two commissions, from 1947 to 1949 and from 1953 to 1955, that recommended reorganizing the sprawling executive branch, and Congress adopted many of the first commission's ideas. In 1982 Ronald Reagan created the President's Private Sector Survey on Cost Control, known as the Grace Commission after businessman J. Peter Grace, which enlisted about 160 business executives and made about 2,500 recommendations it said would save hundreds of billions of dollars. Critics, including congressional auditors, said many of the savings were overstated or required cuts Congress would not make.

In 1993 Vice President Al Gore led the National Performance Review, known as Reinventing Government, which promoted customer service, cut red tape, and reduced the federal civilian workforce by more than 300,000 jobs, mostly in defense, by 2000. Later administrations launched their own management agendas, and in 2017 the White House created an Office of American Innovation led by business figures. Each effort borrowed language and methods from business management.

On January 20, 2025, the President created the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, by renaming the U.S. Digital Service, and Elon Musk, then a special government employee, led a push to cancel contracts and grants, cut staff, and gain access to agency computer systems. DOGE claimed large savings that independent analysts could not verify and faced many lawsuits, and Musk left in May 2025. Supporters said it exposed waste quickly, while critics said it caused chaos and cut needed programs. Historians note that most such efforts produce fewer lasting savings than promised because Congress controls budgets and programs.