Was Joe Biden a good president?

Evaluating the presidency of Joe Biden, who served as the 46th President of the United States from January 20, 2021, to January 20, 2025, is a complex task. Like many modern presidencies, his legacy is viewed in vastly different ways depending on political perspectives, economic priorities, and foreign policy viewpoints.

Historians, economists, and the public often weigh a list of substantial legislative achievements against significant domestic and international challenges. Below is a breakdown of the primary arguments for and against his presidency, as well as how he is evaluated by historians and the public.

Key Arguments in Favor of His Presidency (The Achievements)

Supporters and center-left historians argue that Biden was a highly consequential president who successfully navigated the country through a period of immense domestic crisis and stabilized American alliances. Their arguments typically focus on:

•A Consequential Legislative Record: Despite a razor-thin Democratic majority in Congress during his first two years, Biden signed several historic, bipartisan, and major pieces of legislation into law:

•The American Rescue Plan (2021): A $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package that funded vaccine distribution, sent direct stimulus checks to Americans, and temporarily expanded the child tax credit.

•The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (2021): A bipartisan $1.2 trillion investment to rebuild America's roads, bridges, public transit, clean water access, and broadband internet.

•The CHIPS and Science Act (2022): Legislation aimed at bringing semiconductor and high-tech manufacturing back to the United States.

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

•The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (2022): The most significant federal gun safety legislation passed in nearly three decades.

•Economic and Job Growth: Under the Biden administration, the U.S. economy experienced a rapid post-pandemic recovery. Unemployment fell to historic lows (hovering around 3.5% to 4% for much of his term), and his administration oversaw the creation of over 15 million jobs.

•Strengthening International Alliances: Biden shifted away from the "America First" foreign policy of his predecessor, rebuilding ties with NATO and key Asian allies. His administration successfully unified the Western coalition to support Ukraine after Russia's invasion in 2022.

•Judicial Appointments: He appointed Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, and appointed a historically diverse slate of judges to federal circuit and district courts.

Key Arguments Against His Presidency (The Criticisms)

Critics, conservatives, and many moderate voters point to persistent economic pain and foreign policy setbacks as evidence of an unsuccessful presidency. Their criticisms typically focus on:

•Inflation and the Cost of Living: Although job growth was strong, the Biden era was heavily marked by the worst inflation in 40 years, peaking at 9.1% in mid-2022 and averaging 5.4% throughout his term. Critics—and many economists—argue that the massive spending in the American Rescue Plan overstimulated the economy and fueled this inflation, which severely eroded wage growth and burdened American households.

•Southern Border and Immigration: The Biden administration faced severe criticism from both Republicans and local Democratic leaders over its handling of the U.S.–Mexico border. Record-high numbers of migrant crossings strained municipal resources in cities across the country, with critics arguing the administration was too slow to enact stricter border enforcement measures.

•Foreign Policy Setbacks:

•The Afghanistan Withdrawal (2021): The chaotic pullout of U.S. troops from Kabul in August 2021 resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members, left thousands of Afghan allies behind, and saw the Taliban rapidly retake control of the country. This event marked a permanent turning point downward in Biden’s public approval ratings.

•Global Instability: Critics argue that the Biden administration's foreign policy signaled weakness, which failed to deter Russia's invasion of Ukraine or the outbreak of major conflict in the Middle East.

•The Gaza Conflict: Biden faced intense, dual-sided criticism regarding the Israel–Hamas war. Progressives and young voters criticized his continued military and diplomatic support for Israel despite heavy civilian casualties in Gaza, while some conservatives argued he was not supportive enough of America’s ally.

•Age and Reelection Decision: Concerns over Biden's age (he was 82 when he left office) and cognitive stamina were a persistent political vulnerability. Critics and members of his own party argued that his insistence on running for a second term, followed by his late withdrawal from the 2024 race in July of that year, put the Democratic Party at a severe disadvantage, ultimately paving the way for Donald Trump's return to the presidency.

How History and the Public Rank Him

Evaluating a presidency often reveals a sharp contrast between academic assessments and contemporary public opinion.

•The Historians' Perspective: In scholarly surveys, Biden has generally received favorable early marks. For example, the 2024 Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey (conducted among presidential historians and political scientists) ranked Biden 14th overall out of 45 presidents, placing him in the top third. Historians tended to reward him for his landmark legislative output, his stabilization of democratic norms following the January 6 Capitol riot, and his coalition-building abroad.

•The Public's Perspective: In contrast, public sentiment at the end of his term was far more critical. A Gallup poll conducted in December 2024 revealed that 54% of Americans expected history to remember Biden as a "below average" (17%) or "poor" (37%) president. Only 19% believed he would be remembered as "outstanding" or "above average," with 26% viewing him as "average". This negative public perception was heavily driven by political polarization and widespread frustration over inflation and the cost of living.

Conclusion

Whether Joe Biden was a "good" president depends largely on what metrics are prioritized. To his supporters, he was a steady, highly productive leader who restored institutional norms, passed generation-defining infrastructure and climate laws, and rebuilt global alliances. To his critics, he was an ineffective leader whose policies sparked painful inflation, weakened border security, presided over global instability, and whose refusal to step aside earlier damaged his party's future.

Citations (11)

1wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
wikipedia.org
Backs: “Evaluating the presidency of Joe Biden, who served as the 46th President of the United States from January 20, 2021, to January 20, 2025, is a complex task.”
2infobase.comNot yet classified
infobase.com
Backs: “Like many modern presidencies, his legacy is viewed in vastly different ways depending on political perspectives, economic priorities, and foreign policy viewpoints.”
3port.ac.ukAcademic
port.ac.uk
Backs: “Supporters and center-left historians argue that Biden was a highly consequential president who successfully navigated the country through a period of immense domestic crisis and stabilized American alliances.”
4washingtonpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
washingtonpost.com
Backs: “A Consequential Legislative Record: Despite a razor-thin Democratic majority in Congress during his first two years, Biden signed several historic, bipartisan, and major pieces of legislation into law:”
5youtube.comSocial media and video
youtube.com
Backs: “The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (2021): A bipartisan $1.2 trillion investment to rebuild America's roads, bridges, public transit, clean water access, and broadband internet.”
6cfr.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cfr.org
Backs: “Economic and Job Growth: Under the Biden administration, the U.S. economy experienced a rapid post-pandemic recovery.”
7millercenter.orgAcademic
millercenter.org
Backs: “Strengthening International Alliances: Biden shifted away from the "America First" foreign policy of his predecessor, rebuilding ties with NATO and key Asian allies.”
8wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
wikipedia.org
Backs: “Critics and members of his own party argued that his insistence on running for a second term, followed by his late withdrawal from the 2024 race in July of that year, put the Democratic Party at a severe disadvantage, ultimately paving the way for Donald Trump's return to the presidency. ---. How History and the…”
9uh.eduAcademic
uh.edu
Backs: “The Historians' Perspective: In scholarly surveys, Biden has generally received favorable early marks. For example, the 2024 Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey (conducted among presidential historians and political scientists) ranked Biden 14th overall out of 45 presidents, placing him in the top third.”
10facebook.comSocial media and video
facebook.com
Backs: “The Historians' Perspective: In scholarly surveys, Biden has generally received favorable early marks. For example, the 2024 Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey (conducted among presidential historians and political scientists) ranked Biden 14th overall out of 45 presidents, placing him in the top third.”
11gallup.comCompanies
gallup.com
Backs: “A Gallup poll conducted in December 2024 revealed that 54% of Americans expected history to remember Biden as a "below average" (17%) or "poor" (37%) president. Only 19% believed he would be remembered as "outstanding" or "above average," with 26% viewing him as "average".”