Was Joe Biden a good president?

Whether Joe Biden was a "good" president is a subject of significant debate, with evaluations of his presidency (2021–2025) split along partisan, economic, and academic lines.

On one hand, presidential historians and scholars have rated his administration highly for its substantial legislative achievements and post-pandemic recovery. On the other hand, a majority of the general public has viewed his presidency unfavorably, largely due to high inflation, border security issues, and foreign policy crises.

The Case for a Successful Presidency (The "Pros")

Supporters and scholars who rate Biden’s presidency favorably point to his significant legislative output, economic recovery, and international diplomacy:

1.Major Legislative Achievements: Despite holding razor-thin margins in Congress, Biden signed several historic, often bipartisan, pieces of legislation:

•The American Rescue Plan (2021): A $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package that funded vaccine distribution, sent direct payments to Americans, and expanded the child tax credit.

•Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (2021): A $1.2 trillion investment in rebuilding the nation’s roads, bridges, public transit, clean water systems, and broadband internet access.

•The CHIPS and Science Act (2022): Billions of dollars in investments to bring semiconductor and high-tech manufacturing back to the United States.

•The Inflation Reduction Act (2022): The largest federal investment in climate change and green energy in U.S. history, which also allowed Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices and capped insulin costs for seniors at $35 a month.

2.Economic and Job Growth: Biden oversaw one of the strongest job markets in modern U.S. history, with over 16 million jobs created during his term and unemployment reaching 50-year lows. The U.S. economic recovery post-COVID-19 was also the fastest and strongest among the G7 nations.

3.Restoring Alliances and Global Standing: Biden repaired relations with key Western allies after years of the "America First" foreign policy. He revitalized NATO and successfully coordinated an international coalition to provide military and financial support to Ukraine following Russia’s 2022 invasion.

4.COVID-19 Response: His administration implemented a highly organized national vaccination rollout, which helped stabilize the public health crisis and allowed the country to return to normal functioning.

The Case Against a Successful Presidency (The "Cons")

Critics, political opponents, and dissatisfied voters point to severe economic pressures and global instability during his term:

1.Inflation and the Cost of Living: Biden's presidency was heavily defined by inflation, which peaked at over 9% in 2022 and averaged 5.4% annually across his term. Critics argue that his massive spending bills (particularly the American Rescue Plan) overstimulated the economy and drove up the price of groceries, housing, and gas. This inflation left many Americans feeling financially worse off, despite low unemployment figures.

2.Border Security and Immigration: The U.S.–Mexico border experienced historic surges of unauthorized migrant crossings during his presidency. Critics on the right accused him of failing to enforce immigration laws, while some on the left criticized his eventual tightening of asylum rules, leaving the border as one of his lowest-rated policy areas.

3.Foreign Policy Setbacks:

•The Afghanistan Withdrawal (2021): The chaotic military exit from Afghanistan resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members and a rapid takeover by the Taliban. This was widely seen as a major blow to U.S. prestige and Biden’s approval ratings never fully recovered.

•Failure of Deterrence: Critics argue his foreign policy failed to prevent the escalation of major global conflicts, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the devastating war in the Middle East following the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel.

4.Concerns Over Age and Leadership: At 81 years old by the end of his term, concerns over his age and mental acuity dominated public perception. His initial insistence on running for re-election in 2024, followed by a poor debate performance that ultimately forced him to withdraw from the race late in the campaign, was heavily criticized.

How History and Public Opinion View His Legacy

•Scholars and Historians: In academic circles, Biden's early evaluations have been relatively strong. For example, the 2024 Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey—conducted among nearly 200 political scientists and presidential historians—ranked Biden 14th out of 45 presidents, placing him in the top third. Scholars praised his ability to pass major bipartisan legislation in a highly polarized era and his return to a traditional, stable style of governance.

•The General Public: Public polling tells a much more critical story. As his presidency drew to a close, a December 2024 Gallup poll revealed that 54% of Americans believed history would judge his presidency as "below average" or "poor," with only 19% rating it "outstanding" or "above average." These ratings reflect a highly polarized nation: while many Democrats viewed him as a highly effective president who guided the country through a crisis, an overwhelming majority of Republicans and a significant portion of Independents viewed his term as a failure.

Ultimately, whether Joe Biden was a "good" president depends on what a person values most. Those who prioritize long-term investments in infrastructure, climate policy, and stable international alliances view him favorably. Those who judge a presidency by immediate kitchen-table economic issues like inflation, border security, and global stability view his term much more critically.

Citations (11)

1infobase.comCompanies
infobase.com
Backs: “Whether Joe Biden was a "good" president is a subject of significant debate, with evaluations of his presidency (2021–2025) split along partisan, economic, and academic lines.”
2apnorc.orgAcademic
apnorc.org
Backs: “Whether Joe Biden was a "good" president is a subject of significant debate, with evaluations of his presidency (2021–2025) split along partisan, economic, and academic lines.”
3wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
wikipedia.org
Backs: “On one hand, presidential historians and scholars have rated his administration highly for its substantial legislative achievements and post-pandemic recovery. On the other hand, a majority of the general public has viewed his presidency unfavorably, largely due to high inflation, border security issues, and foreign…”
4uh.eduAcademic
uh.edu
Backs: “On one hand, presidential historians and scholars have rated his administration highly for its substantial legislative achievements and post-pandemic recovery. On the other hand, a majority of the general public has viewed his presidency unfavorably, largely due to high inflation, border security issues, and foreign…”
5gallup.comCompanies
gallup.com
Backs: “On the other hand, a majority of the general public has viewed his presidency unfavorably, largely due to high inflation, border security issues, and foreign policy crises.”
6cfr.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cfr.org
Backs: “Supporters and scholars who rate Biden’s presidency favorably point to his significant legislative output, economic recovery, and international diplomacy: 1.”
7reddit.comForums and Q&A
reddit.com
Backs: “Major Legislative Achievements: Despite holding razor-thin margins in Congress, Biden signed several historic, often bipartisan, pieces of legislation: The American Rescue Plan (2021): A $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package that funded vaccine distribution, sent direct payments to Americans, and expanded the child…”
8port.ac.ukAcademic
port.ac.uk
Backs: “The American Rescue Plan (2021): A $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package that funded vaccine distribution, sent direct payments to Americans, and expanded the child tax credit. Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (2021): A $1.2 trillion investment in rebuilding the nation’s roads, bridges, public transit, clean water…”
9study.comNot yet classified
study.com
Backs: “The CHIPS and Science Act (2022): Billions of dollars in investments to bring semiconductor and high-tech manufacturing back to the United States. The Inflation Reduction Act (2022): The largest federal investment in climate change and green energy in U.S.”
10millercenter.orgAcademic
millercenter.org
Backs: “Restoring Alliances and Global Standing: Biden repaired relations with key Western allies after years of the "America First" foreign policy. He revitalized NATO and successfully coordinated an international coalition to provide military and financial support to Ukraine following Russia’s 2022 invasion.”
11washingtontimes.comNews and mediaquality 0.35
washingtontimes.com
Backs: “Scholars praised his ability to pass major bipartisan legislation in a highly polarized era and his return to a traditional, stable style of governance. The General Public: Public polling tells a much more critical story.”