Was Joe Biden a good president?

Short answer: it depends on what you value. Here’s a balanced scorecard people use to judge Biden’s presidency (2021–2024), with the main arguments for and against.

What supporters point to

•Jobs and growth: rapid post‑pandemic job creation and very low unemployment; real wages began outpacing inflation again by late 2023–2024.

•Big legislation:

•Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (roads, bridges, broadband).

•CHIPS and Science Act (semiconductors, R&D).

•Inflation Reduction Act (largest U.S. climate/clean‑energy investment; Medicare drug‑price negotiations; ACA subsidies extended).

•PACT Act for veterans; Bipartisan Safer Communities Act on guns; Respect for Marriage Act.

•Foreign policy: rebuilt alliances and led a broad coalition backing Ukraine; launched AUKUS; tightened tech export controls on China.

•Public health: accelerated COVID‑19 vaccination and managed the transition out of the emergency.

•Competition/labor: tougher antitrust posture, pro‑labor tilt, and a large number of federal judge confirmations (including Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court).

•Climate: sparked record clean‑energy manufacturing and deployment.

What critics emphasize

•Inflation and costs: the 2021–2022 inflation spike (and high interest rates that followed) hurt household budgets; some blame Biden’s early stimulus for exacerbating it.

•Border and immigration: record migration pressure, overcrowded facilities, and policy whiplash; failure to secure a durable bipartisan deal.

•Afghanistan: the 2021 withdrawal was chaotic and costly to U.S. credibility, even if ending the war was broadly popular.

•Foreign policy dilemmas: handling of the Israel‑Hamas war drew intense criticism from both the left and right.

•Fiscal concerns: large deficits and long‑term debt trajectory.

•Climate tradeoffs: approved oil and gas projects (e.g., Willow) while advancing clean energy, frustrating climate advocates.

•Student loans: the signature mass‑cancellation plan was struck down; later, narrower relief helped some but fell short of ambitions for others.

How to decide “good” or not

•If you prioritize legislative accomplishments, clean‑energy investment, and alliance leadership, you’ll likely rate him favorably.

•If you prioritize low inflation/costs, strict border control, and execution competence (e.g., Afghanistan), you’ll likely rate him unfavorably.

•Many Americans land in between: giving credit for jobs and laws passed, while faulting him on costs and the border.

If you want, I can pull the latest post‑2024 data (inflation, wages, border stats, public opinion, additional laws or actions) to update this assessment through 2025–2026.

Was Joe Biden a good president?

Citations (0)