Home » As Musk exits DOGE, a look back at previous efforts to cut waste, fraud and abuse – and how they fared

As Musk exits DOGE, a look back at previous efforts to cut waste, fraud and abuse – and how they fared

LBJ’s pentagon reforms through Trump’s budget focus show decades of federal efforts to streamline and cut costs

AsElonMuskstepsawayfromhisofficialroleattheDepartmentofGovernmentEfficiency(DOGE),hejoinsahistoryofpresidentialadministrationsthathaveattemptedtostreamlinegovernment—withmixedresults. WhileformerPresidentsThomasJefferson,AndrewJacksonandGroverClevelandalltriedtodownsizethejudiciary,treasuryandcivilservice,respectively,itwasn’tuntilthe20thcenturythatthefederalgovernmentgrewintothebureaucraticbehemothitisthathasdrawntrueDOGE-typeattention. Thoughoftenseenasthebiggerspenders,someDemocratsjoinedRepublicansinthe1990stoshrinkthesizeofgovernmentandmakeitmoreaccountabletotaxpayers. “Weknowbiggovernmentdoesnothavealltheanswers,”formerPresidentBillClintonsaidduringhis1996StateoftheUnion. PROJECT2025REMAINSNONPARTISAN,TRUETO1980SGOOD-GOV’TINCEPTIONDESPITEWIDEOUTCRY,KEYFIGURESSAY “Weknowthere’snotaprogramforeveryproblem.WehaveworkedtogivetheAmericanpeopleasmal