Was Joe Biden a good president?

Whether Joe Biden was a "good" president is a matter of political opinion, and reasonable people disagree based on their values and priorities. Rather than giving you my own verdict, let me lay out some of the key achievements and criticisms that are commonly cited, so you can weigh them yourself.Whether Joe Biden was a "good" president is ultimately a subjective judgment, but here's a balanced rundown of what supporters and critics point to, plus how his standing looks in polls and expert assessments.

Arguments that his presidency was successful

•Economy and jobs: The administration's economic performance exceeded many forecasters' expectations, especially in job creation, and Biden was the first president under whom jobs were created during every month they were in office. This was driven by significant moves such as the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal and the Chips and Science Act, which saw significant investment in the building of microprocessor chip plants.

•COVID response: Biden came into office at the start of the second wave of COVID, and his administration's handling of the crisis and the advice given to the public was in stark contrast to the chaos of the Trump administration. He also succeeded in passing a $1.9 trillion economic relief plan, which included direct financial assistance to households, accelerated vaccination efforts, and support for businesses.

•Judicial appointments: As of 2024, Biden appointed over 170 judges to federal courts, including Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the nation's highest court. Historian Douglas Brinkley noted Biden got more federal judges confirmed than any president in a single term (save Jimmy Carter).

•Foreign policy/Ukraine: Brinkley argued his steadfast support for Ukraine and NATO expansion, at a time of creeping autocracy in Europe, was heroic.

•Healthcare: Enrollment in the Affordable Care Act has nearly doubled from four years ago.

•Bipartisanship: One assessment noted Biden succeeded at a lot of things during his term and much of it was bipartisan — of all the promises he made in 2020, restoring bipartisanship was one he was able to keep.

Arguments that his presidency fell short

•Afghanistan withdrawal: Widely seen as a low point — the chaotic nature of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan will be seen as one of Biden's failures.

•Gaza war: Critics on the left were harsh here, with one commentary calling "the biggest stain on Joe Biden's legacy as president" his handling of the Israel-Gaza war, arguing Biden periodically criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the war but failed to rein him in, instead ensuring a steady stream of weapons continued to flow into Israel.

•Immigration and inflation: A broader academic assessment concluded that by late 2024, Biden's legacy was in tatters, overshadowed by immigration, inflation, the war in Gaza, and the president's obvious physical decline.

•2024 re-election decision: Many analysts see his choice to seek re-election as a major misstep — Biden's decision to run for re-election in 2024, given his physical and mental condition, was arguably his biggest mistake, causing a crisis within the Democratic Party and allowing Kamala Harris to become the nominee hastily and without internal party competition.

What the numbers say

•Approval ratings: Joe Biden averaged 42.2% job approval during his four years as president, the second lowest in Gallup polling history. His approval hit a low point of 36% in July 2024, after his poor debate performance against Trump, before he announced he would drop out of the race.

•Public expectations of his historical legacy: 54% of U.S. adults expect that Joe Biden will go down in history as a below-average or poor president, while 26% say he will be remembered as an average president and 19% as outstanding or above average. Notably, this is sharply divided by party — 44% of Democrats think it will be judged outstanding or above average, while nearly as many believe he'll be remembered as merely "average" (38%).

•Historians' rankings: A 2024 survey of presidential historians ranked Biden the 14th greatest president in U.S. history, based on a survey of social science experts in presidential politics conducted during late 2023, who rated each president on a 0-100 "greatness" scale. But even this was politically split — Democrats gave him an average greatness rating of 66.88, while Republicans rated him at 47.69, independents at 57, and moderates at 62.04.

Bottom line

His record reflects a mix of significant legislative and economic achievements alongside serious foreign-policy and political missteps — and as one historian put it, "Biden's rating is a better representation of the political schism in the US, rather than an unbiased assessment of his performance in office." Whether you view him as "good" likely depends heavily on which of these outcomes you weigh most heavily and your political priors — this is genuinely a matter on which reasonable, informed people land in very different places.

Citations (21)

1theconversation.comNews and mediaquality 0.92
Joe Biden’s legacy: four successes and four failures
Source excerpt: “The administration’s economic performance exceeded many forecasters’ expectations, especially in job creation. Biden will be the first president under...”
2theconversation.comNews and mediaquality 0.92
Joe Biden’s legacy: four successes and four failures
Source excerpt: “This has been driven by significant moves such as the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, which instigated significant federal investment in national...”
3theconversation.comNews and mediaquality 0.92
Joe Biden’s legacy: four successes and four failures
Source excerpt: “Biden came into office at the start of the second wave of COVID. His administration’s handling of the crisis and the advice given to the public was in...”
4moderndiplomacy.euNews and media
Biden's Legacy: Achievements and Failures of a President - Modern Diplomacy
Source excerpt: “In this regard, he succeeded in passing a $1.9 trillion economic relief plan, which included direct financial assistance to households, accelerated va...”
5substack.comBlogs and newsletters
Photo: The New Yorker
Source excerpt: “As of 2024, Biden has appointed over 170 judges to federal courts, including Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to ser...”
6cbsnews.comNews and mediaquality 0.88
What might President Biden's legacy be?
Source excerpt: “Biden got more federal judges confirmed than any president in a single term (save Jimmy Carter). ”
7cbsnews.comNews and mediaquality 0.88
What might President Biden's legacy be?
Source excerpt: “His steadfast support for Ukraine and NATO expansion, at a time of creeping autocracy in Europe, was heroic.”
8cbsnews.comNews and mediaquality 0.88
What might President Biden's legacy be?
Source excerpt: “Enrollment in the Affordable Care Act has nearly doubled from four years ago. ”
9substack.comBlogs and newsletters
Assessing the Biden presidency
Source excerpt: “Biden succeeded at a lot of things during his term and much of it was bipartisan. Of all the promises he made in 2020, restoring bipartisanship was on...”
10theconversation.comNews and mediaquality 0.92
Joe Biden’s legacy: four successes and four failures
Source excerpt: “The chaotic nature of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan will be seen as one of Biden’s failures. ”
11rollingstone.comNews and mediaquality 0.56
Joe Biden’s Presidency: Reviewing the Good and the Bad
Source excerpt: “Gaza: The biggest stain on Joe Biden’s legacy as president will forever be his abdication of moral leadership as Israel indiscriminately bombed the Ga...”
12rollingstone.comNews and mediaquality 0.56
Joe Biden’s Presidency: Reviewing the Good and the Bad
Source excerpt: “Biden periodically criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the war, but failed to rein him in. Instead, Biden ensured a ste...”
13princeton.eduAcademic
the presidency of joseph r biden
Source excerpt: “Yet by late 2024, Biden’s legacy was in tatters, overshadowed by immigration, inflation, the war in Gaza, and the president’s obvious physical decline...”
14moderndiplomacy.euNews and media
Biden's Legacy: Achievements and Failures of a President - Modern Diplomacy
Source excerpt: “... Biden’s decision to run for re-election in 2024, given his physical and mental condition, was arguably his biggest mistake. This decision caused a...”
15gallup.comCompanies
Biden Job Approval Second Lowest Among Post-WWII Presidents
Source excerpt: “Biden’s average job approval rating for his term is just one percentage point higher than that ... WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Joe Biden averaged 42.2% job a...”
16gallup.comCompanies
Biden Job Approval Second Lowest Among Post-WWII Presidents
Source excerpt: “The low point for Biden was a 36% approval rating in July 2024. That survey was conducted after his poor performance in the first 2024 presidential ca...”
17gallup.comCompanies
Presidential Approval Ratings — Gallup Historical Statistics and Trends
Source excerpt: “... Fifty-four percent of U.S. adults expect that Joe Biden will go down in history as a below-average or poor president, while 26% say he will be r...”
18gallup.comCompanies
Americans Think History Will Rate Biden Presidency Negatively
Source excerpt: “More Democrats expect history to look kindly rather than critically on the Biden presidency -- 44% think it will be judged outstanding or above averag...”
19yahoo.comNews and mediaquality 0.69
Historians rank Joe Biden as 14th-greatest US president; Lincoln in 1st, Trump in last
Source excerpt: “Delaware's own Joe Biden has been ranked the 14th greatest president in U.S. history, according to a newly released survey of historians. The 2024 Pre...”
20yahoo.comNews and mediaquality 0.69
Historians rank Joe Biden as 14th-greatest US president; Lincoln in 1st, Trump in last
Source excerpt: “Democrats were the most favorable of Biden, giving him an average greatness rating of 66.88. Biden was rated at 47.69 by Republicans, 57 by independ...”
21theconversation.comNews and mediaquality 0.92
Joe Biden’s legacy: four successes and four failures
Source excerpt: “But in many ways, Biden’s rating is a better representation of the political schism in the US, rather than an unbiased assessment of his performance i...”