Was Joe Biden a good president?

Assessments of Joe Biden’s presidency, which spanned from 2021 to 2025, vary significantly depending on political perspectives, economic priorities, and foreign policy viewpoints.

Scholars and the public often view his single term as a study in contrasts. On one hand, he secured some of the most significant domestic legislation in decades. On the other hand, his administration was dogged by persistent inflation, border crises, international conflicts, and concerns over his age that eventually led him to end his 2024 reelection campaign.

Below is an overview of the primary arguments made by both his supporters and his critics.

The Case for a Successful Presidency (The Pros)

Supporters and progressive historians often argue that Biden was a highly consequential president who successfully navigated the country through a series of unprecedented crises.

•Historic Legislative Achievements: Proponents compare Biden’s legislative record to those of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson. Despite working with razor-thin congressional majorities, his administration passed several landmark bills:

•The American Rescue Plan (2021): A massive COVID-19 relief package that funded vaccine distribution and provided direct financial aid to families.

•The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (2021): A once-in-a-generation investment in the nation’s roads, bridges, public transit, clean water, and broadband access.

•The CHIPS and Science Act (2022): Legislation aimed at bringing semiconductor manufacturing back to the U.S. and boosting technological research.

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

•Economic Recovery and Job Growth: Supporters point to the rapid economic rebound following the pandemic. Under Biden, the U.S. saw historic job growth, with unemployment rates falling to 50-year lows, and a significant resurgence in domestic manufacturing.

•Rebuilding Foreign Alliances: After the transactional foreign policy of the Trump administration, Biden focused on repairing relationships with traditional allies. He successfully revitalized NATO and mobilized a massive, unified international coalition to support Ukraine following Russia’s 2022 invasion.

•Judicial Appointments: Biden appointed Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the Supreme Court. He also appointed a highly diverse slate of judges to federal benches across the country.

The Case Against His Presidency (The Cons)

Critics, conservatives, and some independent voters argue that Biden’s policies worsened domestic challenges and projection of American weakness abroad.

•Inflation and Cost of Living: Opponents argue that the American Rescue Plan and other heavy federal spending injected too much money into the economy, triggering a historic wave of inflation that peaked at 9.1% in 2022. Though inflation eventually cooled, the high cost of groceries, housing, and gas, alongside high interest rates, left many Americans feeling financially worse off during his tenure.

•Immigration and Border Security: The southern U.S. border faced record-high numbers of migrant crossings during Biden's term. Critics accused the administration of failing to secure the border, arguing that his early reversals of Trump-era immigration policies acted as a pull-factor. The resulting strain on municipal resources, even in Democratic-led cities, became a major political liability.

•Foreign Policy Challenges:

•Afghanistan Withdrawal (2021): The chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, which resulted in the swift return of the Taliban and the deaths of 13 U.S. service members at Kabul airport, was heavily criticized as a massive operational failure.

•The Israel-Hamas War: Biden’s handling of the conflict in Gaza pleased few. Progressives and Arab-American voters criticized him for providing unconditional military support to Israel despite high civilian casualties, while conservatives criticized him for being too harsh on Israel or showing weak leadership in the region.

•Age and Leadership Decline: Concerns about Biden's age (he was 81 by the end of his term) and mental/physical fitness loomed large. Following a highly criticized debate performance in June 2024, pressure from within his own party forced him to withdraw from the presidential race, leading critics to argue his insistence on running initially had put his party in a precarious position.

The Verdict

How Joe Biden is remembered remains a subject of ongoing historical debate:

•Among academics: In early historical surveys (such as the 2024 Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey), scholars ranked Biden relatively highly (14th overall), praising his legislative productivity and institutional norms. However, later historical assessments have been more mixed, often framing his presidency as a transitionary period marked by deep polarization and late-term struggles.

•Among the public: Biden's approval ratings remained low for much of his presidency, hovering around 40% when he left office. To his base, he was a steady leader who restored decency to the office and passed generational legislation. To his detractors, he presided over a period of economic hardship, border instability, and global chaos.

Citations (9)

1unimelb.edu.auAcademic
unimelb.edu.au
Backs: “Assessments of Joe Biden’s presidency, which spanned from 2021 to 2025, vary significantly depending on political perspectives, economic priorities, and foreign policy viewpoints.”
2gallup.comCompanies
gallup.com
Backs: “Assessments of Joe Biden’s presidency, which spanned from 2021 to 2025, vary significantly depending on political perspectives, economic priorities, and foreign policy viewpoints.”
3cuny.eduAcademic
cuny.edu
Backs: “Scholars and the public often view his single term as a study in contrasts. On one hand, he secured some of the most significant domestic legislation in decades.”
4washingtonexaminer.comNews and mediaquality 0.51
washingtonexaminer.com
Backs: “On the other hand, his administration was dogged by persistent inflation, border crises, international conflicts, and concerns over his age that eventually led him to end his 2024 reelection campaign.”
5noahpinion.blogBlogs and newsletters
noahpinion.blog
Backs: “Supporters and progressive historians often argue that Biden was a highly consequential president who successfully navigated the country through a series of unprecedented crises.”
6princeton.eduAcademic
princeton.edu
Backs: “Johnson. Despite working with razor-thin congressional majorities, his administration passed several landmark bills:”
7facebook.comSocial media and video
facebook.com
Backs: “Among academics: In early historical surveys (such as the 2024 Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey), scholars ranked Biden relatively highly (14th overall), praising his legislative productivity and institutional norms. However, later historical assessments have been more mixed, often framing his presidency…”
8presidentialgreatnessproject.comNot yet classified
presidentialgreatnessproject.com
Backs: “Among academics: In early historical surveys (such as the 2024 Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey), scholars ranked Biden relatively highly (14th overall), praising his legislative productivity and institutional norms. However, later historical assessments have been more mixed, often framing his presidency…”
9ucsb.eduAcademic
ucsb.edu
Backs: “Among the public: Biden's approval ratings remained low for much of his presidency, hovering around 40% when he left office. To his base, he was a steady leader who restored decency to the office and passed generational legislation.”