Was Joe Biden a good president?

Was Biden's presidency a success? I'll gather historians' rankings and the record to present a balanced assessment.

Was Joe Biden a good president is subjective and evaluations differ sharply by political perspective and by criteria used. His record includes major legislative achievements but also low public approval and significant criticisms.

Achievements cited by supporters and analysts:

•As president he signed the American Rescue Plan Act in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and recession, signed bipartisan bills on infrastructure and manufacturing, proposed the Build Back Better Act part of which was incorporated into the Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022, and appointed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court.

•Analysts described his presidency as one of "remarkable accomplishment" against a fractured backdrop, noting he "healed an economy that had been distressed by the pandemic and put the nation on a path of sustainable growth".

•Despite narrow majorities, he secured major legislation — the pandemic relief bill, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act — that were described as helping revive the economy and spur job growth, repatriating manufacturing and investing in semiconductors, and representing the nation's largest investment in clean energy.

•On foreign policy, he was credited with restoring U.S. alliance leadership, supporting Ukraine after Russia's invasion, strengthening NATO — with Finland and Sweden joining — and reentering the Paris Agreement. The Council on Foreign Relations assessment said he "restored the United States as the anchor of the free world while leading the successful effort to help Ukraine defend itself".

Criticisms and challenges:

•Economic discontent, especially inflation, overshadowed other indicators. One summary noted Biden "leaves the presidency with what appears to be a sterling economic record" but "Inflation and its onerous burden on households... dwarfed all the other good".

•The withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan was described as a "chaotic exit, after which the Taliban swiftly retook control". Critics linked the fall of Afghanistan, inflation, and border issues to perceptions of incompetence.

•Concerns about Biden's age and health persisted throughout his presidency. He "is the first president to turn 80 years old while in office" and concerns about inflation and immigration contributed to declining approval.

How the public and historians have rated him:

•Public approval: Gallup found Biden "averaged 42.2% job approval during his four years as president, the second lowest in Gallup polling history" and his average was "just one percentage point higher than that of his predecessor, Donald Trump, who holds the record low". His final Gallup rating was 40%.

Gallup noted his approval dropped to 43% shortly after the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and that "Rising inflation, record-high numbers of unauthorized border crossings... kept Biden's approval ratings in the low 40s or high 30s thereafter".
An AP-NORC poll in January 2025 found "only a quarter of the public view him as a great or good president".

•Historians' rankings: Historians have been more favorable than the public. A 2024 Presidential Greatness Project survey of historians placed Biden "in 14th – ahead of Ronald Reagan" and described as "14th best president in American history, just ahead of Woodrow Wilson, Ronald Reagan". The pollsters noted the ranking was "unusually high for a presidency without military victories or institutional expansion".

The Siena Research Institute 2022 ranking placed Biden 19th, with Ronald Reagan rated 18th.

In short, supporters point to legislative wins on infrastructure, climate, manufacturing, and alliance management, while critics point to inflation, the Afghanistan withdrawal, border management, and age/health concerns, reflected in historically low average approval despite a higher standing among historians.

Citations (3)

1wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
Joe Biden - Wikipedia
Backs: “His record includes major legislative achievements but also low public approval and significant criticisms. Achievements cited by supporters and analysts: As president he signed the American Rescue Plan Act in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and recession, signed bipartisan bills on infrastructure and manufacturing,…”
2cfr.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Biden’s Legacy: Major Accomplishments but Unfinished Business | Council on Foreign Relations
Backs: “As president he signed the American Rescue Plan Act in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and recession, signed bipartisan bills on infrastructure and manufacturing, proposed the Build Back Better Act part of which was incorporated into the Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022, and appointed Ketanji Brown Jackson to…”
3gallup.comCompanies
Biden Job Approval Second Lowest Among Post-WWII Presidents
Backs: “He "is the first president to turn 80 years old while in office" and concerns about inflation and immigration contributed to declining approval. How the public and historians have rated him: Public approval: Gallup found Biden "averaged 42.2% job approval during his four years as president, the second lowest in Gallup…”