The United States Department of State, led by Secretary Cuban-American Marco Rubio, achieved the highest citizen satisfaction among the federal departments and agencies evaluated in 2026, primarily due to improvements in online passport renewal services.
According to a report this Thursday by The Daily Signal, the results come from the annual study by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), published on October 20, which assessed the experiences of thousands of Americans with federal government services.
The U.S. Department of State itself highlighted the outcome in a post on its official X account, in which it stated: "Under Secretary Rubio's leadership, the Department of State has worked diligently to be more efficient, more effective, and better respond to the needs of the American people."
The Department of State scored 77 points out of a maximum of 100, representing an approximate increase of 3% compared to 2025, when it had reached 75 points.
With that result, it surpassed the other agencies included in the ranking, in a year when overall satisfaction with federal services recorded its first decline after four consecutive years of improvement.
The spokesperson for the State Department, Tommy Pigott, attributed the outcome to Rubio.
"Under Secretary Rubio's leadership, the State Department has worked diligently to become more efficient, more effective, and better respond to the needs of the American people," Pigott stated to The Daily Signal.
The official also stated that the results demonstrate the success of the institutional reorganization and acknowledge the efforts of the professionals working in the State Department.
However, the study does not assess Marco Rubio's political popularity or the approval of his diplomatic management. The ranking measures the satisfaction of citizens who utilized certain government services, especially those provided by the Office of Consular Affairs.
The report was prepared based on 7,932 completed surveys from individuals randomly selected and contacted by email during the federal fiscal year that ended in September 2026.
The participants evaluated their recent experiences with various government services, including the care received, the efficiency of the procedures, the quality of the websites, and the clarity of the information provided.
One of the decisive factors for the outcome of the State Department was its digital passport renewal system, which allows eligible American citizens to complete the process from a computer or mobile phone.
According to an official report published by the U.S. Government itself, this system reduced the time needed to complete a renewal application from approximately 40 to 10 minutes.
The modernization also reduced errors related to the uploading of digital photographs by nearly 50%, one of the most common obstacles faced by applicants.
By September 2026, approximately nine million Americans had renewed their passports through this system, which already accounts for more than half of the document renewals.
Authorities estimate that digitization has collectively saved users over four million hours since 2022.
The modernization process took about four years of development and began before Rubio's current administration. The online renewal platform became available to the general public in 2024.
Therefore, although the State Department is now recording its best position in the rankings, the success of the service is tied to a technological project developed over several administrations.
The progress stands in contrast to the evolution of the citizen satisfaction across the entire federal government.
The ACSI reported that the overall rating of federal services fell by 2.6%, landing at 68.6 points out of 100, ending four consecutive years of increases.
The survey recorded declines in all four areas evaluated: customer service, efficiency of procedures, quality of websites, and information available to users.
Customer service fell by 4%, reaching 74 points, while satisfaction with complaint management decreased by 7%, down to 65.
The study also identified a decline in the ratings of citizens from different political affiliations: Republicans gave an overall score of 72, Democrats 70, and Independents 65, all lower than those recorded the previous year.
Among the evaluated institutions, the General Services Administration and the Department of Agriculture shared second place with 73 points each.
In contrast, the Small Business Administration experienced the largest year-over-year decline, with a 9% reduction that brought its score down to 67.
The Department of Treasury scored 63 points and ranked last among the agencies included in the classification.
The researcher Forrest Morgeson, associate professor of Marketing at Michigan State University and emeritus research director of the ACSI, explained that federal agencies are facing greater demands with fewer staff.
According to the specialist, sustained investment in digital services can enhance the experience of citizens even during periods of institutional reorganization, although it requires years of development and constant resources.
The recognition of the State Department comes at a time of new technological projects driven by the U.S. Administration.
On September 29, Marco Rubio announced that the United States is preparing a system to apply for the first passport completely digitally starting in 2027, eliminating the need to complete traditional procedures in person.
The initiative includes integration with official digital identity platforms, the ability to submit photographs from personal devices, and the simplification of forms and payments.
This project is different from the digital renewal that is already in place and has helped improve the satisfaction results of the Department of State.
Rubio also announced that in 2028 a new design of the U.S. passport is expected to be introduced, with changes to its security features and appearance.
The outcome is of particular interest due to the background of the current Secretary of State, the son of Cuban immigrants who rose to one of the highest positions in the U.S. government after spending a significant part of his political career in Florida.
Born in Miami in 1971, Rubio was a federal senator for Florida before joining the Trump Administration as Secretary of State.
In September 2026, Trump also formalized his appointment as National Security Advisor, expanding his responsibilities within the U.S. government.
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