Was Joe Biden a good president?

This is genuinely contested, and I'll try to lay out the main arguments rather than push a verdict.

Case for a positive record:

•Major legislation passed with bipartisan support: infrastructure bill, CHIPS Act (semiconductor manufacturing), and the Inflation Reduction Act (climate/health provisions)

•Unemployment stayed low through his term; job growth was strong post-pandemic

•Student loan relief efforts, though partially blocked by courts

•Rejoined international agreements (Paris Climate Accord, WHO) and worked to rebuild alliances like NATO

•Coordinated Western response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine

•Judicial appointments, including Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court

Case for criticism:

•Inflation hit 40-year highs in 2022, and many voters felt the economic recovery didn't reach them personally

•Chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal in 2021 drew bipartisan criticism

•Border/immigration numbers reached record levels, which even some Democrats criticized

•Concerns about his age and mental sharpness became a major issue, especially after the 2024 debate performance

•Some progressives felt he didn't do enough on issues like Gaza policy, while others felt he was too supportive of Israel

•His approval ratings were persistently low for most of his presidency

Broader context:

•Historical assessments of presidents often shift significantly over decades (Truman and Eisenhower are examples of presidents whose reputations changed)

•"Good" depends heavily on what you weight—economic indicators, foreign policy, legislative achievements, or personal conduct

•Partisan lens matters enormously here; Democrats and Republicans have very different starting assumptions

What aspects are you most interested in digging into? I can go deeper on the economy, foreign policy, or something else specific.

Was Joe Biden a good president?

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