Whether Joe Biden was a "good" president is fundamentally a matter of political judgment and values, not something I can answer definitively—reasonable people disagree sharply based on their priorities. That said, I can offer a balanced overview of arguments on different sides, which you can weigh for yourself.
Arguments often made in his favor:
•Legislative achievements: He signed major bipartisan infrastructure spending, the CHIPS Act (semiconductor manufacturing), and the Inflation Reduction Act (climate/healthcare spending), which supporters credit with job creation and industrial investment.
•Pandemic recovery: His administration oversaw vaccine distribution scale-up and economic recovery with strong job growth and low unemployment for parts of his term.
•Foreign policy: Supporters point to rallying NATO support for Ukraine after Russia's invasion and rebuilding alliances after the Trump era.
•Judicial appointments: He appointed Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman on the Supreme Court.
Arguments often made against him:
•Inflation: Consumer prices rose sharply during his term, which critics blame partly on pandemic-era stimulus spending, squeezing household budgets.
•Border/immigration: Record levels of illegal border crossings occurred during parts of his presidency, a major point of criticism.
•Afghanistan withdrawal: The chaotic 2021 pullout, including the Kabul airport attack that killed U.S. service members, was widely criticized as poorly executed.
•Age and fitness concerns: Questions about his age and mental acuity grew throughout his term, culminating in his withdrawal from the 2024 race after a widely panned debate performance.
•Economic perception: Despite macro statistics, many voters felt the economy wasn't working for them, which significantly influenced the 2024 election outcome.
Bottom line: Evaluations split heavily along partisan lines—many Democrats point to legislative wins and alliance-rebuilding, while many Republicans and some independents emphasize inflation, border policy, and age-related concerns. His approval ratings were relatively low for much of his presidency compared to historical averages.
If you want, I can look into specific aspects of his presidency (economy, foreign policy, a particular policy) in more depth, or find current polling/historical assessments of his presidency.