The majority of Americans are concerned about cuts to the Federal workforce and government services, according to new polling data from the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service (PPS).
The nonprofit said recent cuts to Federal personnel and programs by the Trump administration and its Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) represent “an unprecedented threat to the ability of our government to effectively serve the public.”
To understand how the public is perceiving the cuts, the Partnership for Public Service completed an online survey of 1,000 Americans in March. PPS said it used quota sampling techniques to resemble the demographic makeup of the United States.
More than half of respondents to the online survey – 54 percent – said they oppose the changes made to the Federal government by the Trump administration, while 42 percent voiced support.
Republican respondents largely backed the changes, with 79 percent in favor. Opposition was strongest among Democrats – 87 percent said they opposed changes. Among independents, 57 percent opposed the changes compared to 36 percent who supported them.
While some respondents said they support the administration’s efforts, many of them expressed concerns about impacts on issues such as the loss of knowledge in the Federal workforce. In fact, 41 percent of those who said they support cuts to Federal jobs also said they are concerned about the loss of “experience and knowledge” in the Federal workforce.
Overall, almost two-thirds of respondents (64 percent) said they were concerned about the loss of “experience and knowledge” that could occur due to the reductions in the Federal workforce.
In a call with reporters on Friday, Max Stier, the president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, said the survey’s findings were promising.
“I do think it’s very encouraging that the American people are not being fooled and they’re seeing the truth, which is, yes, our government needs to improve and needs to be modernized, and what we’re watching is the exact opposite,” Stier said. “The numbers are in movement, and they’re moving in the right direction. They’re moving in the direction of truth.”
According to the survey, about three-quarters of the public are paying close attention to the current changes in the Federal government, and almost one-third said they have already noticed an impact on their communities.
Additionally, nearly half (48 percent) said the changes to the Federal workforce would make their community worse and 46 percent said the changes would make their own lives worse.
“The damage that’s happening right now is profound, and I am an optimist about the ability to recoup some of government’s capabilities. But the longer this goes on, the harder that becomes, and the more we lose as a country relative to other countries,” Stier told reporters.
“We are in competition with the world, and we’re losing that competition because of the leadership of our government’s ineptitude,” he said. “That is something that should be unacceptable to Congress, to the public, and, frankly, to the leaders in this administration too.”
In February, Stier also told reporters that the Trump administration’s mass firings of thousands of Federal employees have “destroyed” the Federal government’s brand and will damage recruiting efforts for years to come.
“It’s going to take a long time to rebuild that brand, and it starts with an administration that recognizes that that’s actually important to do,” Stier said.