Was Joe Biden a good president?

Both sidesSays it is contested

Evaluating the presidency of Joe Biden (who served as the 46th President of the United States from 2021 to 2025) is complex and highly debated. Historians, economists, and the public hold sharply contrasting views on his legacy, depending on which aspects of his administration they emphasize.

To understand whether his presidency was "good" or "bad," it is helpful to look at the primary arguments from both his supporters and his critics.

Arguments That Joe Biden Was a Successful President

Supporters and progressive historians often point to a substantial list of legislative achievements and a resilient post-pandemic economic recovery as evidence of a highly effective presidency.

•Major Legislative Accomplishments: Despite holding exceptionally narrow majorities in Congress, the Biden administration passed some of the most significant domestic legislation in decades:

•The American Rescue Plan (2021): A massive $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package that funded vaccine distribution, sent direct stimulus checks, and temporarily cut child poverty.

•The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (2021): A historic $1.2 trillion bipartisan package to rebuild America's roads, bridges, public transit, water systems, and broadband access.

•The CHIPS and Science Act (2022): A bipartisan bill aimed at bringing semiconductor manufacturing back to the U.S. to secure supply chains and compete with China.

•The Inflation Reduction Act (2022): The largest investment in climate and clean energy in U.S. history, which also allowed Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices and capped insulin costs for seniors.

•Job Growth and Economic Recovery: Under Biden, the U.S. economy recovered from the COVID-19 recession faster than most other developed nations. The country experienced record-low unemployment rates, a surge in domestic manufacturing, and sustained job creation.

•Rebuilding Global Alliances: Following the "America First" foreign policy of his predecessor, Biden focused on restoring traditional alliances. He rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement, strengthened NATO, and successfully coordinated a unified international coalition to support Ukraine after Russia's 2022 invasion.

•A Return to Institutional "Normalcy": Supporters argue that Biden brought a sense of stability, predictability, and respect for democratic norms to the White House following the turbulent final months of the Trump administration and the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Arguments That Joe Biden Was an Unsuccessful President

Critics, including conservatives, independents, and some progressive factions, point to severe economic pain, foreign policy crises, and domestic instability as key failures of his administration.

•Inflation and Cost of Living: The most prominent criticism of Biden’s presidency was the surge of inflation, which reached a 40-year high in 2022. Critics and some centrist economists argue that the massive spending in the American Rescue Plan overstimulated the economy and triggered this inflation, which eroded wage gains and severely strained household budgets.

•The Southern Border Crisis: The Biden administration faced intense criticism for its handling of U.S. immigration policy. Record numbers of migrant crossings at the southern border overwhelmed federal resources and heavily strained municipal budgets in major American cities, a vulnerability that even many Democrats acknowledged.

•Foreign Policy Setbacks:

•The Afghanistan Withdrawal (2021): The chaotic and deadly U.S. military exit from Afghanistan in August 2021—which resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members and the rapid return of the Taliban—was widely condemned and marked a permanent downward turning point in Biden’s public approval ratings.

•Global Instability: Critics argue that the outbreak of major conflicts during his term—such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the war in Gaza—reflected a decline in American deterrence on the world stage. His administration's handling of the Gaza conflict also deeply fractured his own political coalition, drawing anger from progressives and Arab-Americans.

•Aging and Leadership Perception: Throughout his term, Biden's advanced age was a central issue. Critics pointed to frequent verbal slips and physical stumbles as evidence that he was not fully fit for the demands of the office. This concern culminated in a highly criticized debate performance in June 2024, which ultimately pressured him to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race.

•Unfulfilled Promise of Unity: Biden entered office promising to "heal the soul of the nation" and bridge partisan divides. However, political polarization in the U.S. remained deeply entrenched, and his presidency concluded with Donald Trump winning the 2024 presidential election to succeed him. Critics argue that the return of Trumpism represents a failure of Biden's core political promise.

Conclusion

Whether Joe Biden was a "good" president depends on which metrics one values most:

•Those who view him positively see a highly productive president who guided the country through a once-in-a-generation pandemic, passed landmark investments in infrastructure and green energy, and defended global democracy under immense pressure.

•Those who view him negatively see a presidency marked by high inflation, a crisis at the southern border, geopolitical instability, and a style of leadership that left the country politically divided.

Citations (6)

1princeton.eduAcademic
princeton.edu
Backs: “Evaluating the presidency of Joe Biden (who served as the 46th President of the United States from 2021 to 2025) is complex and highly debated.”
background, other, neutral. Claim: Evaluating Biden's presidency is complex and highly debated.
2millercenter.orgAcademic
millercenter.org
Backs: “Evaluating the presidency of Joe Biden (who served as the 46th President of the United States from 2021 to 2025) is complex and highly debated.”
background, other, neutral. Claim: Evaluating Biden's presidency is complex and highly debated.
3apnorc.orgAcademic
apnorc.org
Backs: “Historians, economists, and the public hold sharply contrasting views on his legacy, depending on which aspects of his administration they emphasize.”
attribution, data page, neutral. Claim: Historians, economists, and the public hold sharply contrasting views on his legacy depending on which aspects they emphasize.
4cfr.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cfr.org
Backs: “Supporters and progressive historians often point to a substantial list of legislative achievements and a resilient post-pandemic economic recovery as evidence of a highly effective presidency.”
attribution, article, points to yes. Claim: Supporters and progressive historians point to legislative achievements and economic recovery as evidence of a highly effective presidency.
5ballotpedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.89
ballotpedia.org
Backs: “However, political polarization in the U.S. remained deeply entrenched, and his presidency concluded with Donald Trump winning the 2024 presidential election to succeed him. Critics argue that the return of Trumpism represents a failure of Biden's core political promise.”
evidence, reference entry, points to no. Claim: Polarization remained entrenched and Trump won the 2024 election to succeed Biden, which critics call a failure of his unity promise.
6unimelb.edu.auAcademic
unimelb.edu.au
Backs: “Whether Joe Biden was a "good" president depends on which metrics one values most: Those who view him positively see a highly productive president who guided the country through a once-in-a-generation pandemic, passed landmark investments in infrastructure and green energy, and defended global democracy under immense…”
background, article, neutral. Claim: Whether Biden was a good president depends on which metrics one values most.