Short answer: It depends on what you value. By late 2024, Biden’s record was a mix of substantial legislative wins and a strong labor market, alongside high inflation early on, a strained southern border, and some controversial foreign‑policy moments.
What supporters point to
•Major laws: American Rescue Plan (pandemic recovery), Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, PACT Act for veterans, and the Inflation Reduction Act (largest U.S. climate/clean‑energy and health‑care investment, plus Medicare drug negotiation and a $35 insulin cap for seniors).
•Jobs and markets: Unemployment near 50‑year lows, strong job creation (on the order of the low‑teens of millions since Jan 2021), a manufacturing/construction boom tied to industrial policy, and stock indexes at or near records by 2024.
•Health and benefits: Record Affordable Care Act enrollment with enhanced subsidies; actions that delivered targeted student‑debt relief to millions after the Supreme Court blocked broad cancellation.
•Climate/energy: Big clean‑energy buildout, methane rules, EV and domestic battery incentives—while U.S. oil production also hit record highs, keeping energy prices more stable later.
•Foreign policy: Repaired alliances, led support for Ukraine, launched AUKUS, tightened tech export controls on China; generally steadied NATO.
•Guns and democracy: First significant federal gun‑safety law in decades; Electoral Count Act reform; many judicial appointments including Ketanji Brown Jackson.
What critics argue
•Cost of living: Inflation reached a 40‑year high in 2022; although it fell markedly by late 2023–24, prices remained elevated and housing affordability worsened with high interest rates.
•Fiscal/ARP: The 2021 stimulus is criticized for overheating the economy; deficits fell from pandemic peaks but rose again by 2023, with debt and interest costs climbing.
•Border/migration: Record unlawful crossings and asylum backlogs; shifting policies and a failed bipartisan border deal; later executive curbs drew lawsuits and criticism from left and right.
•Foreign policy: Chaotic 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal; responses to Middle East crises drew fire from multiple sides; questions about deterrence and coherence.
•Regulation/litigation: Aggressive rulemaking on environment, labor, and education drew legal challenges; the Supreme Court struck down the broad student‑loan plan and later limited agency power, clouding durability of some policies.
•Leadership optics: Concerns about age and communication, especially after a poor 2024 debate; he ultimately left the 2024 race.
Mixed outcomes and context
•Inflation cooled significantly by late 2024, and real wages improved for many, but cumulative price increases still hurt sentiment.
•Clean‑energy investment surged even as fossil output set records—praised as pragmatic by some, as contradictory by others.
•Child poverty hit a record low in 2021 with the expanded Child Tax Credit, then rose after it expired.
•Support for Ukraine was strong but intermittently delayed by Congress.
Bottom line: If you weight legislative accomplishments, alliance management, climate/industry policy, and a tight labor market most heavily, you’ll likely judge Biden positively. If you prioritize price stability, strict border control, a smoother Afghanistan exit, lighter regulation, or faster deficit reduction, you’ll likely judge him negatively.
If you share which issues matter most to you, I can give a more tailored assessment with relevant metrics.