Arrived: The Establishment, Operation, and Impact of the U.S. Government Efficiency Department ()

Key Chapter Title List

1. Formally Establishing DOGE as the U.S. Government Efficiency Service (USDS)
2. Personnel Composition of the U.S. Government Efficiency Service (USDS)
3. Leadership of the U.S. Government Efficiency Service (USDS)
4. DOGE Employees and DOGE Teams
5. Core Activities of the U.S. Government Efficiency Service (USDS)
6. Transparency Requirements
7. Legal Challenges Against DOGE

Document Introduction

On January 20, 2025, following his inauguration, President Trump signed an executive order formally establishing the "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) and reorganizing the former U.S. Digital Service into the "U.S. Government Efficiency Service" (USDS), which falls under the Executive Office of the President (EOP). This marks the transition of this controversial entity from concept to a federal government body. This move has sparked widespread attention from various sectors regarding its legal basis, scope of authority, and operational impact. The multinational law firm Gibson Dunn provides an in-depth analysis of the core issues surrounding DOGE based on the latest executive order and government actions.

The report first clarifies DOGE's institutional positioning: by reorganizing the existing U.S. Digital Service rather than creating a new agency, USDS inherits the original funding channels and technology optimization functions while closely collaborating with the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Its core mission focuses on federal technology modernization to enhance government efficiency and productivity. This setup avoids the perception controversy of a "brand-new agency" while connecting with existing administrative resources.

Regarding personnel composition, the report provides a detailed analysis of USDS's leadership configuration, staff makeup, and potential conflicts of interest. Although Elon Musk continues to participate in leadership as a "Special Government Employee," his multiple concurrent roles (simultaneously leading government contractors such as SpaceX and Tesla) raise significant conflict of interest concerns. Each federal agency is required to establish a DOGE team of at least four members, which may include Special Government Employees, while the status of the original 230 U.S. Digital Service employees remains under reassessment. Furthermore, USDS has established temporary organizations responsible for advancing an 18-month agenda, with their temporary nature providing greater flexibility in personnel hiring.

In the section on core functions, the report points out that USDS shoulders two key tasks: first, the Software Modernization Initiative, covering cross-agency interoperability, data integrity, and compliant collection, requiring all agencies to grant it access to all non-classified records and IT systems; second, formulating plans to reduce the size of the federal workforce in coordination with the federal employee pay freeze policy, with related actions already being implemented through measures such as the "delayed resignation" scheme. Concurrently, several recent federal government actions (such as the suspension of new contract awards in some agencies and funding freezes in specific areas) reflect the advancement of the DOGE agenda.

Transparency and legal challenges are another focus of the report. As USDS falls under the Executive Office of the President, whether it is subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) remains contentious, potentially facing fewer public disclosure requirements. Public interest groups have already filed lawsuits questioning DOGE's compliance with relevant FACA provisions. Its ultimate legal classification will depend on whether the agency's personnel composition consists solely of government employees.

Based on diverse sources including the executive order text, federal regulations, government memoranda, and media reports, this report systematically outlines the key details of DOGE's establishment and operation. It provides an authoritative reference for understanding new trends in U.S. federal government administrative reform and assessing its potential impact on government operations, business operations, and public interest.