What is DOGE?
In November 2024, President Donald Trump announced that, once in office, he would establish an agency led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to “dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.”
In his executive order dated Jan. 20, 2025, President Trump officially recognized this agency, called the “Department of Government Efficiency” or “DOGE,” stating its goal is “modernizing Federal technology and software to maximize governmental efficiency and productivity.”
In an op-ed published by the Wall Street Journal, Ramaswamy and Musk outlined their plans for the future of DOGE. They cited the reasoning behind its establishment as unsatisfactory bureaucratic protocols, saying “most government enforcement decisions and discretionary expenditures aren’t made by the democratically elected… but by millions of unelected, unappointed civil servants.”
Is DOGE a Government Agency?
The short answer is no – DOGE is not a government agency. Still, President Trump’s executive order called for the government to cooperate with them, meaning they may have access to certain government information.
Who are Ramaswamy and Musk?
Elon Musk, owner of Tesla and X, has become a prominent figure in corporate America and, lately, in the political sphere as well. Musk’s close relationship with President Trump has sparked some controversy amongst Americans who fear his arrival in the political sphere signals the growing political power of the tech industry.
Lesser known, Vivek Ramaswamy, is an American businessman turned conservative politician. Ramaswamy founded the pharmaceutical company Roivant Sciences in 2014 with a focus on “accelerating the development and commercialization of medicines.” Ramaswamy turned to politics in 2023 when he announced his candidacy for the GOP Presidential nomination, but he dropped out in early 2024, expressing support for President Trump.
What powers will DOGE have?
It’s still unclear what powers DOGE will have: on Feb. 8, a Federal Judge blocked DOGE from accessing certain private information from the Treasury Department. Information that DOGE could access through the U.S. Treasury Dept. includes Social Security numbers and bank information of Americans.
The lawsuit was originally filed by New York Attorney General Letitia James and features 19 states, including Arizona, Colorado and California. The suit alleges DOGE isn’t a government agency, and therefore, doesn’t have the clearance to access sensitive information about citizens. The hearing has been set for Feb. 14 and the outcome will likely determine the power DOGE will have in the future.
