Assessing the presidency of Joe Biden involves looking at a wide range of viewpoints, as public opinion and historical assessments are deeply divided depending on an individual’s political, economic, and social priorities.
Below is an overview of the key arguments from both supporters and critics regarding his time in office.
Arguments in Favor of Joe Biden’s Presidency
Supporters often point to a series of major legislative achievements, economic recovery efforts, and a return to traditional foreign policy alliances as key successes of his administration.
•Significant Legislative Achievements: Proponents highlight several major pieces of legislation passed during his term, many with bipartisan support. These include:
•The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (2021): A trillion-dollar package aimed at rebuilding roads, bridges, public transit, and expanding broadband access.
•The CHIPS and Science Act (2022): Aimed at boosting domestic semiconductor manufacturing and scientific research to compete with China.
•The Inflation Reduction Act (2022): A landmark law focused on climate change investment, lowering prescription drug costs (such as capping insulin at $35/month for seniors), and raising taxes on large corporations.
•The American Rescue Plan (2021): A $1.9 trillion stimulus package designed to facilitate economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
•Job Growth and Low Unemployment: Under his administration, the U.S. economy experienced significant job creation, with the unemployment rate reaching historic lows. Supporters credit his economic policies (often termed "Bidenomics") with fostering a strong labor market and promoting domestic manufacturing.
•Climate Change and Environmental Policy: Biden rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement on his first day in office and enacted the largest federal investment in green energy and climate initiatives in U.S. history via the Inflation Reduction Act.
•Foreign Policy and Alliances: Proponents praise Biden for rebuilding traditional alliances, particularly NATO, in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. His administration successfully coordinated international aid and intelligence sharing to support Ukraine and strengthened security pacts in the Indo-Pacific, such as AUKUS.
•Judicial and Administrative Diversity: Biden appointed Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman, to the Supreme Court, and fulfilled a pledge to diversify the federal judiciary with a high number of female, minority, and public-defender background judges.
Arguments Against Joe Biden’s Presidency
Critics, including conservatives, progressives, and some moderates, focus heavily on economic challenges, border security, foreign policy setbacks, and concerns about his leadership.
•Inflation and Cost of Living: The most prominent criticism of Biden’s presidency is the high rate of inflation that peaked in 2022, leading to increased costs for groceries, gas, rent, and borrowing. Critics argue that his large-scale federal spending packages, particularly the American Rescue Plan, overstimulated the economy and fueled this inflation.
•Border Security and Immigration: Opponents point to record numbers of migrant crossings at the U.S.–Mexico border during his term. Critics argue that his administration’s early decisions to roll back several Trump-era border policies created a humanitarian and security crisis that strained resources in cities across the country.
•Foreign Policy Setbacks:
•The Afghanistan Withdrawal: The chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in August 2021, which resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members and the rapid return of the Taliban to power, is widely cited by critics as a major failure in execution and leadership.
•Global Instability: Critics argue that the administration failed to deter major conflicts, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Hamas’s attack on Israel, suggesting a perception of American weakness abroad. Additionally, his handling of the Israel-Hamas war drew criticism from both the right (who argued he did not support Israel strongly enough) and the progressive left (who protested his military and financial support for Israel's campaign in Gaza).
•Executive Overreach and Polarization: Opponents criticize his use of executive actions, such as attempts to implement broad student loan forgiveness programs, which critics argued bypassed Congress and exceeded presidential authority (leading to legal challenges and Supreme Court reversals). Furthermore, despite a campaign promise to unify the country, critics argue that political polarization remained high during his tenure.
•Age and Public Confidence: Concerns about Biden’s age and cognitive fitness were a persistent point of criticism throughout his presidency. While supporters viewed his decades of experience as an asset, critics—and eventually a majority of the public—expressed concern over his capability to serve, a factor that ultimately contributed to his decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race.
Conclusion
Whether Joe Biden is viewed as a "good" president depends largely on which metrics are prioritized. Proponents see him as a highly consequential president who passed historic, long-term investments in the nation's infrastructure, climate, and technology sectors while steering the country out of a global pandemic. Critics see his term as defined by economic hardship driven by inflation, instability at the southern border, and a series of foreign policy crises that diminished America's standing on the world stage.