Was Joe Biden a good president?

Both sidesSays it is contestedSources conflict

The CFR and White House sources portray Biden's record as remarkable accomplishment, while Gallup polling shows the public rates him poorly and expects negative historical judgment.

A balanced look at Biden's presidency — I'll gather recent rankings, accomplishments and criticisms to give you a full picture.

Whether Joe Biden was a good president depends on what criteria you weight most heavily — legislative record, foreign policy, economy, or public approval and political outcomes. His presidency is generally seen as consequential but polarizing:

How historians and the public have rated him

•In early 2024, a survey of historians in the Presidential Greatness Project ranked Biden as the 14th best president in American history, just ahead of Woodrow Wilson, Ronald Reagan.

•The public view has been more negative. In a December 2024 Gallup poll, 54% of U.S. adults believed Biden will be remembered as “below average” (17%) or “poor” (37%), while 19% said he will be evaluated as “outstanding” (6%) or “above average” (13%). That net rating was similar to Richard Nixon's.

•Gallup noted past presidents with harsh ratings at departure, like George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter and Donald Trump for his first term, have seen ratings soften over time, and that for some presidents how Americans think they will be viewed historically is more aligned with their last job approval than average term rating, suggesting Biden's retrospective evaluation may improve.

Approval ratings

•Biden averaged 42.2% job approval during his four years, the second lowest in Gallup polling history, only better than Donald Trump's average. His final monthly approval in January 2025 was 40%.

•His 13th-quarter average of 38.7% was the lowest of any first-term president since 1956.

•He started above 50% during the first six months, then fell to 43% in September 2021 shortly after the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, and hit a low of 36% in July 2024 after a poor debate performance.

•Later polling showed fewer than four-in-ten approving — for example 37% approve with 60% disapproving — and surveys noted a lack of confidence in his handling of key policy areas and criticism over his age. His approval was highly polarized: 6% among Republicans, 39% among independents and 85% among Democrats on average.

Cited accomplishments

Supporters and nonpartisan analysts point to major legislation despite narrow congressional margins:

•The American Rescue Plan Act, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act.

The Council on Foreign Relations assessment described it as:
> navigated through a fractured world... one of remarkable accomplishment. Abroad, Biden restored the United States as the anchor of the free world while leading the successful effort to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression. At home, he healed an economy that had been distressed by the pandemic.

Specific elements described:

•Domestic investments: pandemic relief bill, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act — which helped revive the economy, spur job growth, repatriate manufacturing and supply chains, with the Inflation Reduction Act standing out as the nation’s largest investment ever in clean energy and climate action.

•White House record claims: the strongest economy in the world with 16.6 million new jobs created, wages up, inflation coming down, record health insurance coverage and prescription drug cost measures, gun safety and veterans legislation, and violent crime at a 50-year low.

•Foreign policy: repairing NATO — two-thirds of members meeting 2% GDP defense spending and Finland and Sweden joining — and strengthening Indo-Pacific partnerships.

Cited criticisms and unfinished business

•Afghanistan: Completed the U.S. withdrawal that ended the war, leading to the Taliban retaking control, an operation that was widely criticized and resulted in the death of 13 U.S. service members. The chaotic withdrawal was linked to the first major drop in approval.

•Inflation and economy: Rising inflation and border numbers kept approval in the low 40s or high 30s thereafter. Pew and other polls at the end of his term noted public views of the economy at their most negative in years.

•Immigration: Encounters of about 2.2 million migrants crossing the southern border illegally in 2022, an all-time high. He initially increased refugee quotas and ended family separation to rebuild a humane system, but later pivoted to more stringent measures under pressure from Democratic mayors struggling to shelter migrants.

•Legislative limits: His Build Back Better proposal envisaged $3.5 trillion but Congress stripped provisions including free prekindergarten, free community college, family leave, and child tax credit, in part due to concerns about inflation and debt. PolitiFact noted he could not get Congress to support a pathway to citizenship for 11 million people, an assault weapons ban, $15 minimum wage and codifying Roe provisions.

•A summary of analysts called it a mixed, consequential presidency: substantive policy accomplishments in infrastructure, industrial policy, drug pricing and judicial appointments combined with glaring failures and political liabilities in Afghanistan, inflation control, border politics and messaging.

Bottom line

•If judged by legislative output and alliance management, supporters rate Biden highly — as the historians' 14th-place ranking reflects.

•If judged by public approval, inflation experience, border management, and the Afghanistan exit, critics rate him poorly — as reflected in low Gallup averages and the public expectation he will be remembered negatively.

Historical rankings often change. As Gallup noted, Biden’s unpopularity put him at great risk of being voted out had he not ended his reelection bid, with economic hardships and international conflicts outweighing legislative wins in public evaluation, but retrospective views of Carter, George W. Bush and Trump improved after they left office.

Citations (4)

1gallup.comCompanies
Americans Think History Will Rate Biden Presidency Negatively
Backs: “In early 2024, a survey of historians in the Presidential Greatness Project ranked Biden as the 14th best president in American history, just ahead of Woodrow Wilson, Ronald Reagan. The public view has been more negative. In a December 2024 Gallup poll, 54% of U.S. adults believed Biden will be remembered as “below…”
statistic, article, points to no. Claim: 54% of Americans think Biden will be remembered as below average or poor, while historians ranked him 14th best president.
2gallup.comCompanies
Biden Job Approval Second Lowest Among Post-WWII Presidents
Backs: “Gallup noted past presidents with harsh ratings at departure, like George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter and Donald Trump for his first term, have seen ratings soften over time, and that for some presidents how Americans think they will be viewed historically is more aligned with their last job approval than average term…”
evidence, article, neutral. Claim: Past presidents with harsh departure ratings, like Bush, Carter and Trump, saw ratings soften over time, suggesting Biden's evaluation may improve.
3cfr.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Biden’s Legacy: Major Accomplishments but Unfinished Business | Council on Foreign Relations
Backs: “Abroad, Biden restored the United States as the anchor of the free world while leading the successful effort to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression.”
attribution, article, points to yes. Claim: CFR assessment described Biden's presidency as one of remarkable accomplishment, restoring US leadership abroad and healing the economy at home.
4archives.govGovernment
Fact Sheet:
Backs: “Domestic investments: pandemic relief bill, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act — which helped revive the economy, spur job growth, repatriate manufacturing and supply chains, with the Inflation Reduction Act standing out as the nation’s largest investment ever in…”
evidence, official document, points to yes. Claim: White House record claims that the Inflation Reduction Act was the nation's largest investment ever in clean energy and climate action.