Was Joe Biden a good president?
Short answer: It depends on what you value. Here’s a compact scorecard of Joe Biden’s 2021–2025 presidency, with outcomes that continued to matter into 2026.
Where supporters say he did well
Where critics say he fell short
Bottom line
Want a deeper dive (economy, foreign policy, immigration, courts, climate) with charts for any one area?
Citations (16)
- Alternative Fuels Data Center: Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021
Backs: “Big laws passed: a bipartisan infrastructure law with roughly $550 billion in new spending for roads, bridges, broadband and lead-pipe removal; the CHIPS and Science Act to boost U.S. semiconductor capacity; and the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate‑energy investment in U.S. history.”
- Public Law 117 - 58 - Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act - PLAW-117publ58 | Content Details | GovInfo
Backs: “Big laws passed: a bipartisan infrastructure law with roughly $550 billion in new spending for roads, bridges, broadband and lead-pipe removal; the CHIPS and Science Act to boost U.S. semiconductor capacity; and the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate‑energy investment in U.S. history.”
- How Big is the “Biggest Climate Spending Bill Ever?” Key Factors Influencing the Inflation Reduction Act’s Clean Energy Impacts
Backs: “Big laws passed: a bipartisan infrastructure law with roughly $550 billion in new spending for roads, bridges, broadband and lead-pipe removal; the CHIPS and Science Act to boost U.S. semiconductor capacity; and the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate‑energy investment in U.S. history.”
- Employment Situation News Release - 2023 M01 Results
Backs: “Unemployment fell to 3.4% in January 2023 (lowest since 1969), and inflation—after surging—cooled markedly over 2023–24.”
- Consumer Price Index News Release - 2022 M06 Results
Backs: “Unemployment fell to 3.4% in January 2023 (lowest since 1969), and inflation—after surging—cooled markedly over 2023–24.”
- Inflation in the first half of 2023 continued to slow due to ongoing improvements in several drivers, including food and energy, as well as in underlying conditions, such as resolving supply chains and price pressures stemming from Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine were contained. One major component, shelter, showed very little improvement from an elevated pace. After slowing steadily in the final six months of 2022, energy price inflation has declined outright in the first half of this year. Food price inflation remained at a double-digit pace through most of 2022, but finally moved lower during the first half of this year. As a result of all these factors, twelve-month CPI inflation has declined from a peak rate of 9.1% in June 2022, to 6.5% in December 2022, and to 3.0% in June 2023, i.e. a two-thirds reduction from the year-earlier peak. The improvement in core CPI inflation (which excludes food and energy) has been more modest, owing to persistently elevated readings for shelter prices and a shift back to consumption of services. Over the year through June 2022, the core CPI rose by 5.9%, then eased to 5.7% over the 12 months through December 2022. Over the year through June 2023, however, 12-month core inflation eased more noticeably to 4.8%. Even after slowing noticeably during the latter half of 2022, core goods inflation decelerated further during the first half of this year, to a 12-month pace of 1.3% through June 2023. Core services inflation remains elevated, owing to rising demand in various service sectors, especially those adversely affected by the pandemic, as well as persistently rapid inflation in housing (rent of primary residence and owners’ equivalent rent).
Backs: “Unemployment fell to 3.4% in January 2023 (lowest since 1969), and inflation—after surging—cooled markedly over 2023–24.”
- U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 117th Congress - 2nd Session
Backs: “Courts: he confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson (the first Black woman on the Supreme Court) and finished his term with roughly 235 lifetime federal judges, a record for diversity.”
- Ballotpedia releases federal judicial vacancy count for January 2025 - Ballotpedia News
Backs: “Courts: he confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson (the first Black woman on the Supreme Court) and finished his term with roughly 235 lifetime federal judges, a record for diversity.”
- U.S. Security Assistance to Ukraine Since 2022 - EveryCRSReport.com
Backs: “Foreign policy and alliances: he assembled and funded a large, sustained coalition backing Ukraine’s defense against Russia, with tens of billions in U.S. security assistance appropriated and delivered.”
- Military Officials brief Media on investigation results of ISIS-K bombing at Abbey Gate > U.S. Central Command > U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Official Public Releases
Backs: “Afghanistan withdrawal (August 2021): the exit ended a 20‑year war but was chaotic and deadly, with 13 U.S. service members and scores of Afghan civilians killed in the Abbey Gate attack; official reviews faulted planning and execution.”
- Microsoft Word - Final Report Compiled
Backs: “Afghanistan withdrawal (August 2021): the exit ended a 20‑year war but was chaotic and deadly, with 13 U.S. service members and scores of Afghan civilians killed in the Abbey Gate attack; official reviews faulted planning and execution.”
- record levels of encounters at the SWB,⁵ the United States Government has taken a series of significant steps to strengthen consequences for unlawful or unauthorized entry at the border, while at the same time overseeing the largest expansion of lawful, safe, and orderly pathways and processes for individuals to come to the United States for protection in decades.⁶ These steps include:
Backs: “Immigration/border: encounters at the southwest border reached record highs in FY2022–FY2023, prompting tougher policies in 2024 but continuing political backlash.”
- Poverty in the United States: 2022
Backs: “Poverty trade‑offs: the expanded Child Tax Credit’s lapse coincided with the Supplemental Poverty Measure for children jumping from 5.2% (2021) to 12.4% (2022), and then to 13.7% (2023).”
- Poverty in the United States: 2023
Backs: “Poverty trade‑offs: the expanded Child Tax Credit’s lapse coincided with the Supplemental Poverty Measure for children jumping from 5.2% (2021) to 12.4% (2022), and then to 13.7% (2023).”
- 22-506 Biden v. Nebraska (06/30/2023)
Backs: “Student loans: his broad cancellation plan was struck down by the Supreme Court in June 2023; he pivoted to narrower relief through other legal avenues.”
- Administration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr., 2024
Backs: “Student loans: his broad cancellation plan was struck down by the Supreme Court in June 2023; he pivoted to narrower relief through other legal avenues.”