From Reagan’s Grace Commission to Musk’s DOGE, a history of efficiency

As Elon Musk steps away from his official role at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), he joins a long history of presidential administrations that have attempted to streamline government—with varying degrees of success. Throughout history, presidents like Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, and Grover Cleveland have all tried to downsize different aspects of the government, but it wasn’t until the 20th century that the federal government grew into the bureaucratic behemoth that it is today.

While some Democrats and Republicans have joined forces in the past to shrink the size of government and make it more accountable to taxpayers, the efforts have often been met with mixed results. Former President Bill Clinton, for example, sought to give the American people a smaller, less bureaucratic government and worked with congressional Republicans to balance the federal budget. He also called for welfare reform and emphasized personal responsibility over dependency on the state.

Despite the bipartisan efforts to streamline government, recent attempts by President Donald Trump have faced significant opposition from the left. Trump’s efforts have been met with criticism and resistance, highlighting the challenges of reducing the size of government in today’s political climate.

In the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan made similar promises to streamline government and cut waste. He established the Grace Commission, which identified billions of dollars in savings through eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse. However, Reagan faced resistance from the entrenched bureaucracy and saw budget deficits grow during his presidency.

Another president known for attempting to streamline government was Lyndon Johnson, who expanded government through his “Great Society” social programs but also sought to streamline the Pentagon and Defense apparatus. Despite efforts to bring a more streamlined approach to managing the Pentagon’s budget, the vast size of the defense bureaucracy and resistance from military leaders undermined the effectiveness of Johnson’s reform efforts.

As Musk takes on the challenge of government efficiency, he joins a long line of presidents who have sought to make the government more accountable and efficient. While the task is daunting, Musk’s innovative approach and outside-the-box thinking may just be what is needed to successfully streamline government in the modern era.