Was Joe Biden a good president?

Evaluating the presidency of Joe Biden (2021–2025) is a subject of ongoing debate among historians, political scientists, and the public. While supporters highlight a series of major legislative achievements and a strong economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic, critics point to persistent inflation, challenges at the southern border, and foreign policy crises.

How his presidency is viewed depends largely on which aspects of his legacy are emphasized.

The Case for a Successful Presidency (Achievements)

Supporters and positive historical evaluations often focus on Biden's extensive legislative record and his efforts to stabilize the country after a period of intense political polarization.

•Major Legislative Successes: Despite thin congressional majorities, Biden signed several landmark pieces of legislation that supporters compare to the legislative impacts of the Great Society or the New Deal. These included:

•The American Rescue Plan (2021): A massive $1.9 trillion stimulus package aimed at accelerating the post-COVID-19 economic recovery and funding nationwide vaccine distribution.

•The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (2021): A historic $1.2 trillion investment in the nation’s physical infrastructure, including roads, bridges, public transit, clean drinking water, and broadband access.

•The CHIPS and Science Act (2022): Billions of dollars in subsidies and research funding to boost domestic manufacturing of semiconductors and reduce supply chain reliance on foreign nations.

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

•Economic Recovery and Job Growth: Biden oversaw one of the strongest post-pandemic job market recoveries in modern U.S. history. Under his administration, the national unemployment rate dropped to historic, 70-year lows, and over 15 million jobs were created.

•Strengthening Foreign Alliances: Following the "America First" foreign policy of his predecessor, Biden worked to repair and strengthen traditional alliances, particularly NATO. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he successfully mobilized a coordinated international coalition to provide financial and military support to Kyiv.

•Representation and Democratic Norms: Biden aimed to restore traditional norms of governance and civil decorum to the White House. His administration was highly diverse; he appointed Kamala Harris as the first female, African American, and South Asian Vice President, and Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black female Supreme Court Justice.

The Case for a Troubled Presidency (Criticisms)

Critics, as well as more critical scholarly assessments, argue that his term was marred by execution failures, domestic instability, and a failure to address the core concerns of everyday Americans.

•Inflation and the Cost of Living: Although the job market was strong, the Biden administration struggled to control inflation, which peaked at over 9% in 2022 and averaged 5.4% annually during his term. This severely eroded the purchasing power of middle- and lower-class families. Critics argued that his large-scale spending bills (particularly the American Rescue Plan) overstimulated the economy and directly fueled the inflation crisis.

•Border Security and Immigration: The southern U.S. border faced unprecedented surges of migrants during Biden's presidency. Critics on the right accused him of failing to enforce immigration laws and maintaining "open-border" policies. Simultaneously, some progressives and humanitarian organizations criticized his administration's late-term executive actions that restricted asylum seeking, calling them inhumane.

•Foreign Policy Setbacks:

•The Afghanistan Withdrawal (2021): The chaotic and deadly U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 was widely condemned. The rapid collapse of the Afghan government and the deaths of 13 U.S. service members marked a permanent turning point, after which Biden's public approval ratings never fully recovered.

•The War in Gaza: The Biden administration's handling of the Israel-Hamas war alienated a significant portion of his own political base. Progressively-minded voters and international allies criticized his continued military support for Israel despite the rising civilian death toll in Gaza, while others felt he did not do enough to project decisive strength in the region.

•Age and Party Succession: Biden’s age and physical decline became a central issue of his presidency. Concerns culminated in a widely criticized debate performance in June 2024, which eventually forced him to end his reelection bid. Critics argue his insistence on running for a second term—despite persistent voter anxiety about his age—delayed the Democratic Party from organizing a competitive primary, which ultimately contributed to Donald Trump winning a non-consecutive second term.

Historical and Public Standings

•Historical Assessments: In scholarly polls conducted during his term (such as the 2024 Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey), political scientists and presidential historians ranked Biden relatively high (14th out of 46 presidents), praising his legislative achievements and defense of democratic institutions. However, more recent retrospective analyses published after he left office suggest that his long-term ranking may shift downward as historians weigh his legislative wins against his party's subsequent electoral defeats and the foreign policy turmoil of his final years.

•Public Opinion: The American public's view of Biden was highly polarized. He entered office with a 57% approval rating, but it declined significantly after the Afghanistan withdrawal and the onset of high inflation. He spent most of his presidency with approval ratings hovering in the high 30s to low 40s, ending his term with an average job approval rating of approximately 42%.

Ultimately, Joe Biden’s legacy remains a dual narrative. Supporters see him as a steady, highly productive leader who navigated the country through a global pandemic and secured generation-defining investments in climate and infrastructure. Opponents and critics view his presidency as a period of economic hardship, border insecurity, and geopolitical instability.

Citations (14)

1infobase.comNot yet classified
infobase.com
Backs: “Evaluating the presidency of Joe Biden (2021–2025) is a subject of ongoing debate among historians, political scientists, and the public. While supporters highlight a series of major legislative achievements and a strong economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic, critics point to persistent inflation, challenges…”
2princeton.eduAcademic
princeton.edu
Backs: “Evaluating the presidency of Joe Biden (2021–2025) is a subject of ongoing debate among historians, political scientists, and the public. While supporters highlight a series of major legislative achievements and a strong economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic, critics point to persistent inflation, challenges…”
3wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
wikipedia.org
Backs: “While supporters highlight a series of major legislative achievements and a strong economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic, critics point to persistent inflation, challenges at the southern border, and foreign policy crises.”
4latimes.comNews and mediaquality 0.85
latimes.com
Backs: “How his presidency is viewed depends largely on which aspects of his legacy are emphasized.”
5noahpinion.blogBlogs and newsletters
noahpinion.blog
Backs: “These included: The American Rescue Plan (2021): A massive $1.9 trillion stimulus package aimed at accelerating the post-COVID-19 economic recovery and funding nationwide vaccine distribution. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (2021): A historic $1.2 trillion investment in the nation’s physical infrastructure,…”
6cfr.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cfr.org
Backs: “Economic Recovery and Job Growth: Biden oversaw one of the strongest post-pandemic job market recoveries in modern U.S. history. Under his administration, the national unemployment rate dropped to historic, 70-year lows, and over 15 million jobs were created.”
7cfr.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cfr.org
Backs: “After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he successfully mobilized a coordinated international coalition to provide financial and military support to Kyiv. Representation and Democratic Norms: Biden aimed to restore traditional norms of governance and civil decorum to the White House.”
8study.comNot yet classified
study.com
Backs: “His administration was highly diverse; he appointed Kamala Harris as the first female, African American, and South Asian Vice President, and Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black female Supreme Court Justice.”
9cuny.eduAcademic
cuny.edu
Backs: “Critics, as well as more critical scholarly assessments, argue that his term was marred by execution failures, domestic instability, and a failure to address the core concerns of everyday Americans. Inflation and the Cost of Living: Although the job market was strong, the Biden administration struggled to control…”
10port.ac.ukAcademic
port.ac.uk
Backs: “Inflation and the Cost of Living: Although the job market was strong, the Biden administration struggled to control inflation, which peaked at over 9% in 2022 and averaged 5.4% annually during his term. This severely eroded the purchasing power of middle- and lower-class families.”
11gallup.comCompanies
gallup.com
Backs: “The rapid collapse of the Afghan government and the deaths of 13 U.S. service members marked a permanent turning point, after which Biden's public approval ratings never fully recovered. The War in Gaza: The Biden administration's handling of the Israel-Hamas war alienated a significant portion of his own political…”
12facebook.comSocial media and video
facebook.com
Backs: “Historical Assessments: In scholarly polls conducted during his term (such as the 2024 Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey), political scientists and presidential historians ranked Biden relatively high (14th out of 46 presidents), praising his legislative achievements and defense of democratic institutions.…”
13kpbs.orgNot yet classified
kpbs.org
Backs: “Historical Assessments: In scholarly polls conducted during his term (such as the 2024 Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey), political scientists and presidential historians ranked Biden relatively high (14th out of 46 presidents), praising his legislative achievements and defense of democratic institutions.…”
14gallup.comCompanies
gallup.com
Backs: “He spent most of his presidency with approval ratings hovering in the high 30s to low 40s, ending his term with an average job approval rating of approximately 42%. Ultimately, Joe Biden’s legacy remains a dual narrative.”