Was Joe Biden a good president?

Assessing whether Joe Biden was a "good" president is a complex and highly debated question. Ultimately, how his presidency (January 20, 2021 – January 20, 2025) is evaluated depends on which aspects of his term are prioritized.

To provide a comprehensive overview, his legacy can be examined through his major legislative successes, the economic and foreign policy challenges he faced, and how both the public and historians view his time in office.

Arguments in Favor of His Presidency (Achievements)

Supporters and many presidential scholars view Biden as a highly consequential, productive, and stabilizing president. Their arguments typically focus on:

•Major Legislative Accomplishments: Despite holding razor-thin majorities in Congress, Biden passed some of the most significant domestic legislation in decades. This includes:

•The American Rescue Plan (2021): A $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package that funded vaccine distribution and provided direct financial aid to Americans.

•The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (2021): A historic $1.2 trillion investment in the nation’s roads, bridges, public transit, clean water, and high-speed broadband.

•The CHIPS and Science Act (2022): Billions of dollars aimed at boosting domestic semiconductor manufacturing and scientific research.

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

•Strong Economic Recovery: Under Biden’s term, the U.S. economy recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic faster than almost any other major developed nation. His administration oversaw record-breaking job creation, with unemployment rates dropping to historic lows.

•Rebuilding Alliances: Biden restored traditional foreign alliances that had been strained. He recommitted the U.S. to the Paris Climate Agreement, bolstered NATO, and led the international coalition supporting Ukraine after the 2022 Russian invasion.

•Judicial Appointments: He appointed a historic number of diverse federal judges, including Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court.

Arguments Against His Presidency (Criticisms)

Critics, primarily Republicans and a significant segment of independents, argue that his presidency was marked by mismanagement, weakness, and economic distress. Their criticisms focus on:

•Inflation and the Cost of Living: Although job growth was strong, persistent and severe inflation (which peaked at 9.1% in June 2022) heavily increased the cost of groceries, gas, rent, and borrowing. Critics blame his early trillion-dollar spending packages for overheating the economy and driving up prices.

•The Afghanistan Withdrawal: In August 2021, the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan led to the rapid collapse of the Afghan government, the return of the Taliban, and the tragic deaths of 13 U.S. service members. This event marked a permanent turning point in Biden's public approval ratings, from which they never fully recovered.

•Immigration and Border Security: His administration faced historic levels of migrant crossings at the southern border. Critics accused Biden of being too slow to implement strict enforcement measures, leading to a humanitarian and political crisis.

•Foreign Policy Instability: Aside from Ukraine, the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war in late 2023 deeply divided his own party. Progressives criticized him for not doing enough to protect civilians in Gaza, while conservatives argued his policies toward Iran and the Middle East lacked strength.

•Age and the 2024 Election: As the oldest sitting president in U.S. history, questions about his age and cognitive stamina persisted throughout his term. A widely criticized debate performance in June 2024 eventually forced him to end his re-election bid, passing the Democratic nomination to Kamala Harris. Critics argue his insistence on running for a second term for so long ultimately left his party vulnerable to Donald Trump's return to power in the 2024 election.

How History and the Public View His Legacy

Because evaluations of presidencies often change over time, Biden's legacy is viewed differently depending on whether one looks at public polling or historical assessments.

•The Public's View: At the end of his presidency in January 2025, public sentiment toward Biden was highly polarized and generally unfavorable. A Gallup poll released at the time of his departure showed that 54% of Americans expected history to judge his presidency as "below average" or "poor," while only 19% believed he would be remembered as "outstanding" or "above average."

•Historians' View: In contrast to the general public, presidential historians and political scientists have tended to view Biden much more favorably. In the Presidential Greatness Project survey (conducted by political science scholars), Biden was ranked 14th out of all U.S. presidents. Historians tended to reward him highly for his defense of democratic norms, his ability to pass major bipartisan legislation in a highly polarized era, and his rebuilding of international alliances.

Conclusion

Ultimately, Joe Biden's legacy is a study in contrasts. Supporters view him as a highly productive, transformational leader who successfully navigated the U.S. out of a pandemic, rebuilt the country's infrastructure, and defended democratic institutions. Critics view him as a weak leader whose economic policies drove up the cost of living and whose foreign and domestic policies left the country more vulnerable.

Citations (10)

1asl.orgNot yet classified
asl.org
Backs: “Ultimately, how his presidency (January 20, 2021 – January 20, 2025) is evaluated depends on which aspects of his term are prioritized.”
2fox9.comNews and mediaquality 0.50
fox9.com
Backs: “Ultimately, how his presidency (January 20, 2021 – January 20, 2025) is evaluated depends on which aspects of his term are prioritized.”
3washingtonpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
washingtonpost.com
Backs: “Supporters and many presidential scholars view Biden as a highly consequential, productive, and stabilizing president. Their arguments typically focus on:”
4noahpinion.blogBlogs and newsletters
noahpinion.blog
Backs: “The American Rescue Plan (2021): A $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package that funded vaccine distribution and provided direct financial aid to Americans. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (2021): A historic $1.2 trillion investment in the nation’s roads, bridges, public transit, clean water, and high-speed broadband.”
5unimelb.edu.auAcademic
unimelb.edu.au
Backs: “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (2021): A historic $1.2 trillion investment in the nation’s roads, bridges, public transit, clean water, and high-speed broadband. The CHIPS and Science Act (2022): Billions of dollars aimed at boosting domestic semiconductor manufacturing and scientific research.”
6democratsabroad.orgNonprofits and think tanks
democratsabroad.org
Backs: “He recommitted the U.S. to the Paris Climate Agreement, bolstered NATO, and led the international coalition supporting Ukraine after the 2022 Russian invasion. Judicial Appointments: He appointed a historic number of diverse federal judges, including Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme…”
7gallup.comCompanies
gallup.com
Backs: “Critics, primarily Republicans and a significant segment of independents, argue that his presidency was marked by mismanagement, weakness, and economic distress. Their criticisms focus on:”
8ballotpedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.89
ballotpedia.org
Backs: “Critics argue his insistence on running for a second term for so long ultimately left his party vulnerable to Donald Trump's return to power in the 2024 election. ---. How History and the Public View His Legacy”
9axios.comNews and mediaquality 0.90
axios.com
Backs: “In the Presidential Greatness Project survey (conducted by political science scholars), Biden was ranked 14th out of all U.S. presidents. Historians tended to reward him highly for his defense of democratic norms, his ability to pass major bipartisan legislation in a highly polarized era, and his rebuilding of…”
10uh.eduAcademic
uh.edu
Backs: “In the Presidential Greatness Project survey (conducted by political science scholars), Biden was ranked 14th out of all U.S. presidents. Historians tended to reward him highly for his defense of democratic norms, his ability to pass major bipartisan legislation in a highly polarized era, and his rebuilding of…”