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GPT-5Sep 10, 2026openai/gpt-5-2025-08-07
Was Joe Biden a good president?
Both sidesSays it is contested
Short answer: reasonable people disagree. Biden’s term was consequential, with big legislative wins and a strong labor market, but also notable failures and controversies. How “good” he was depends on which outcomes you value most.
What supporters point to
•Jobs and growth: Unemployment stayed under 4% for a record stretch (since the late 1960s). The economy added roughly 15 million jobs from Jan 2021 through 2024, with solid GDP growth in 2023 despite high interest rates. Wage growth outpaced inflation for much of 2023–24.
•Major legislation:
•American Rescue Plan (2021): pandemic aid; the expanded Child Tax Credit briefly cut child poverty to a record low in 2021.
•Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (2021): long-term funding for roads, bridges, transit, broadband, water.
•CHIPS and Science Act (2022): spurred domestic semiconductor and advanced-manufacturing investment.
•Inflation Reduction Act (2022): the largest U.S. climate law; clean-energy incentives; lets Medicare negotiate some drug prices; $35 insulin cap for Medicare.
•Other bipartisan laws: PACT Act for veterans, modest gun-safety reforms, Electoral Count Reform, Respect for Marriage.
•Foreign policy: Rallied and expanded NATO, led broad support for Ukraine, strengthened alliances in the Indo‑Pacific (e.g., AUKUS). Managed U.S.-China competition while keeping channels open.
•Judiciary and rights: Record pace of diverse federal judicial appointments; first Black woman on the Supreme Court. Executive actions to protect abortion access at the margins after Dobbs. Advanced antitrust and competition policy more aggressively.
•Climate/industry: Clean-energy buildout and factory construction accelerated; large EV, battery, and solar investments; methane rules; historic releases from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve helped cool gas prices after 2022’s spike.
What critics emphasize
•Inflation and prices: Inflation peaked at a 40‑year high in 2022. Though it fell markedly by 2023–24, many prices remained elevated. Critics argue the 2021 stimulus overheated demand.
•Border and immigration: Record migrant encounters at the southern border and strained processing capacity. A bipartisan border deal in 2024 failed; executive measures drew criticism from both the left and right.
•Afghanistan withdrawal (2021): Chaotic exit, Taliban takeover, and the Abbey Gate attack that killed 13 U.S. service members. Planning and execution widely criticized.
•Israel–Hamas war: Strong support for Israel while urging humanitarian relief; drew criticism from progressives for enabling the campaign in Gaza and from conservatives for perceived hesitancy and mixed messaging.
•Fiscal picture: The deficit fell in 2022 from pandemic highs but rose again in 2023; long‑term debt trajectory worsened. Opponents cite new spending and tax credits; supporters note temporary factors and pandemic aftershocks.
•Crime and public order: Although violent crime—including murder—fell sharply in 2023–24, perceptions of disorder and concerns about retail theft and drug crises persisted in some areas.
•Student loans: The Supreme Court struck down his broad cancellation plan; subsequent targeted relief and the SAVE repayment plan helped millions but left many dissatisfied on both sides.
Mixed or limited-impact areas
•Health coverage hit record lows for the uninsured, but post‑pandemic Medicaid unwinding reversed some gains.
•Abortion protections depended largely on state law; federal actions had limited reach under current courts/Congress.
•Climate progress accelerated, but U.S. emissions reductions remain short of 2030 goals without further policy or faster deployment.
Public opinion and historical views
•Biden’s job approval was underwater for much of his term, despite strong employment numbers—suggesting inflation and prices weighed heavily.
•Early academic surveys placed him mid‑pack historically, but these rankings are provisional and politically sensitive.
Bottom line
•If you prioritize low unemployment, rebuilding infrastructure and manufacturing, aggressive climate/industrial policy, support for Ukraine, lower prescription costs for seniors, and a more traditional governing style, you may rate him positively.
•If you prioritize low inflation above all, strict border enforcement, a different approach to Israel/Gaza, a more hawkish withdrawal from Afghanistan, or smaller government and spending, you may rate him negatively.
If you tell me which issues matter most to you—economy, immigration, foreign policy, rights, climate, or something else—I can give a more tailored assessment.