When President Trump proposed the Department of Government Efficiency, those of us concerned about the federal government’s enormous debt had reason to be encouraged. Although neither he nor his opponent expressed much concern about fiscal responsibility during the campaign, the creation of this influential non-governmental commission suggests that Trump intends to make it a priority.

Among DOGE’s goals — streamlining government operations, eliminating unnecessary regulation and reducing excessive spending — the last is the most difficult. To be successful, the Trump administration can learn from the Reagan administration’s wins and losses.

Although Reagan won the 1980 election with 489 electoral votes and Trump only won 312 in 2024, Trump has an enormous advantage Reagan never did: Republicans will control both houses of Congress when he takes office. In 1981, they controlled only the Senate.

During his campaign, Reagan promised a large tax cut, a substantial increase in defense expenditures and a large reduction in non defense expenditures. He also promised to bring the budget into balance within a few years. He did not delay in acting on the first three promises, but the reduction in nondefense spending was not large enough to keep budget deficits from growing.

Only two weeks after his inauguration, Reagan addressed the public........

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