Was Joe Biden a good president?

No objective "yes" or "no" exists—whether Joe Biden was a "good" president is inherently subjective, depending on one's values, priorities (e.g., economy vs. borders vs. climate vs. foreign policy), partisan leanings, and how one weighs short-term pain against long-term investments. Public opinion at the end of his term (2021–2025) was largely negative, his average approval was historically low, and early historical assessments are mixed, with legislative and recovery achievements often overshadowed by inflation, immigration, the Afghanistan withdrawal, age-related concerns, and his role in the 2024 election outcome.[1]

Public Opinion and Approval Ratings

Biden’s Gallup average job approval over his full term was about 42.2%, the second-lowest among post-WWII presidents (only Trump’s first term was lower). He started around 57% and fell after the Afghanistan withdrawal, never recovering sustainably above the mid-40s for long stretches; his final reading was around 40%.[1]

Partisan polarization was intense: high Democratic support, near-floor Republican support, and weak independent numbers.

Major Achievements Often Cited by Supporters

Biden’s early years featured significant legislative output despite narrow congressional margins:

Early historian surveys (pre-full term end) sometimes ranked him around the top third historically, crediting COVID management, infrastructure/climate bills, and “restoring norms” after Trump.[6]

Major Criticisms and Failures Often Cited by Opponents

Economic Snapshot

Post-pandemic recovery was robust by many headline measures (jobs, unemployment lows, growth outperforming some peers, soft landing without deep recession). Stock markets rose substantially. However, inflation’s bite on living costs dominated public perception and polling on the economy, contributing heavily to dissatisfaction. Fiscal expansions aided recovery but were criticized for overheating demand. Comparisons to Trump’s first term are complicated by COVID’s unique shock.[11]

Historical Perspective

It is early for definitive rankings. Some scholars highlight transformative domestic legislation (comparable in ambition to Great Society elements for climate/infra) and alliance management. Others describe it as an “interregnum” or one overshadowed by polarization, inflation/immigration failures, personal decline, and enabling Trump’s return—potentially consigning him to “minor” or average/below status in the near term. Long-term views often improve or worsen with outcomes of policies (e.g., infrastructure/climate results, Ukraine trajectory) and broader context.[12]

Bottom line: Supporters emphasize competent crisis recovery, major progressive-leaning investments that passed despite gridlock, and restoring alliances. Critics emphasize inflation’s pain, border disorder, foreign policy missteps, and leadership/fitness failures that left the country more divided and led to electoral repudiation. Reasonable people prioritize differently. Data on metrics like jobs/unemployment favor the positive case on recovery; cost-of-living, migration volumes, and approval numbers favor the critical case. Time and further results will shape the lasting judgment more than contemporary polls.