Department of Government Efficiency
The Department of Government Efficiency [a 1] (DOGE), officially referred to as the U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organisation, is an initiative launched during the second Trump administration and led by Elon Musk. Despite its designation, DOGE does not function as a Cabinet-level department within the United States government; rather, it operates as a temporary contracted organisation under the United States DOGE Service, which was previously known as the United States Digital Service.[2][3]
 Logo as of January 2025 | |
 The Eisenhower Executive Office Building, where the DOGE office is located | |
| Temporary organization overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | January 20, 2025 |
| Jurisdiction | U.S. federal government |
| Headquarters | Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Annual budget | 1.44 crore $ as of 12 February 2025; up from 67.5 lakh $ at inception[1] |
| Temporary organization executive | |
| Parent agency | United States DOGE Service |
| Website | doge |
The primary objective of DOGE is to implement Trump's agenda focused on federal spending cuts and deregulation. According to the order that established the organisation, its mission is to "modernise federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity."[4][5][3] The organisation is slated to conclude its operations on 04 July 2026.[6]
The establishment and subsequent activities of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have sparked considerable controversy, leading to protests and ongoing legal challenges. Critics have accused DOGE of dissolving government agencies and seizing funds that were authorised by Congress, arguing that these actions contravene Article 1 of the United States Constitution and could potentially lead to a "constitutional crisis." Members of the Democratic Party have particularly condemned DOGE's conduct, characterising it as an unauthorized "takeover," "freeze," or "coup."
In response, both the White House and the Republican Party have defended DOGE and Elon Musk, asserting that their actions are in full accordance with federal law.[7] While neither DOGE nor Trump possesses the constitutional authority to directly cut federal spending, they can recommend such cuts to Congress, which retains the power over budgetary matters.[8][9]
Twenty-four days after DOGE's inception, The New York Times reported that Trump claimed he and Musk had uncovered "billions and billions of dollars" in corrupt expenditures, although no supporting evidence was provided.[10] Musk has stated that all actions taken by DOGE are "maximally transparent," despite the organisation's website being quite sparse; notably, Trump has granted DOGE an exemption from publicly disclosing its activities.[11][12][13]
NotesEdit
- ↑ IPA: /dɪpˈɑːtmənt ˈɒv ɡˈʌvənmənt ɪfˈɪʃənsi/
Devanagari: डिपार्टमेण्ट् ऑफ़् गवर्नमेण्ट् ऐफ़िसियंसी
Hindi: सरकारी कार्यकुशलता-विभाग
ReferencesEdit
- ↑ Rogelberg, Sasha (February 12, 2025). "DOGE—tasked with trimming federal spending—has more than doubled its budget already, disclosures show". Fortune.
- ↑ Lubin, Rhian (November 14, 2024). "What is DOGE? Trump's Department of Government Efficiency led by Musk and Ramaswamy". The Independent. Archived from the original on November 19, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Establishing and Implementing the President's "Department of Government Efficiency"" (PDF). Federal Register. Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration. 90 (14): 8441–8442. 29 January 2025.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedNgo 1212025 - ↑ Executive Order: Establishing and implementing the President's Department of Government Efficiency White House. Retrieved February 6, 2025
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedTecotzky - ↑ Jacobson, Louis (February 8, 2025). "Do Elon Musk and DOGE have power to close US government agencies?". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
- ↑ Schleifer, Theodore; Ngo, Madeleine (January 12, 2025). "Inside Elon Musk's Plan for DOGE to Slash Government Costs". The New York Times.
- ↑ Shear, Michael D. (January 31, 2025). "Beneath Trump's Chaotic Spending Freeze: An Idea That Crosses Party Lines". The New York Times.
- ↑ Baker, Peter (February 12, 2025). "Trump and Musk Hunt for Corruption, Very Selectively". The New York Times.
- ↑ Lowell, Hugo (February 12, 2025). "Elon Musk appears with Trump and tries to claim 'Doge' team is transparent". The Guardian.
- ↑ Novak, Matt (February 12, 2025). "Elon Musk Claims the DOGE Website Offers Transparency, but There's Nothing There". Gizmodo.
- ↑ Kim, Minho (February 10, 2025). "Trump's Declaration Allows Musk's Efficiency Team to Skirt Open Records Laws". The New York Times.