Was Joe Biden a good president?

No, according to most contemporary public opinion and his low average approval ratings, but the assessment is highly subjective, polarized by party, and history may revise it over time based on long-term outcomes. "Good president" depends on priorities (e.g., economic growth vs. cost of living, foreign alliances vs. specific conflicts, legislative output vs. border security or personal fitness). Biden (2021–2025) left office as a one-term president after dropping out of the 2024 race.[1]

Public Opinion and Rankings

Biden’s Gallup average job approval was 42.2%—the second-lowest among post-WWII presidents (behind only Trump’s first-term 41.1%). He started around 57%, dropped after the Afghanistan withdrawal, and never recovered above 50%. His final Gallup rating was about 40% approve / 54% disapprove.[2]

A majority of Americans expected history to rate him poorly: Gallup found 54% saying “below average” or “poor,” 26% “average,” and only 19% “outstanding” or “above average.” This was similar to (or slightly better than) Nixon’s retrospective ratings and worse than most recent presidents. AP-NORC and other polls showed only about a quarter calling him “good” or “great.” Views were extremely polarized (high among Democrats, near-zero among Republicans).[3]

Scholarly rankings during/near the end of his term varied. One 2024 survey of political scientists ranked him 14th all-time (ahead of Reagan in that sample), partly crediting ending Trump’s first term and traditional leadership style. Conservative-leaning surveys ranked him near or at the bottom. Rankings often shift with time and new information.[4]

Major Achievements

Supporters highlight significant legislative and recovery efforts, often despite narrow congressional margins:

These delivered tangible investments in manufacturing, clean energy, and infrastructure that continue.

Major Criticisms and Shortcomings

Critics point to high costs of living, security lapses, and leadership issues that dominated voter perceptions:

Bottom Line

Biden oversaw a strong post-COVID rebound, landmark bipartisan and party-line laws on infrastructure/climate/tech/health, and assertive (if imperfect) support for allies against aggression. Objectively strong metrics on jobs and growth coexisted with painful inflation and visible failures on Afghanistan and the border that tanked his popularity. Leadership style emphasized experience and institutional norms but was undercut by age-related issues and a late exit from the race.

Whether he was “good” hinges on weighting: economic recovery + legislation + alliances (positive for many Democrats/historians initially) versus inflation + border chaos + Afghanistan + fitness doubts (negative for most of the public and Republicans). Contemporary voters largely said no via low approval and the 2024 election outcome. Historians often warm to consequential one-term presidents with big laws once passions cool—or downgrade them if long-term costs (debt, migration patterns, geopolitical shifts) mount. Time, data on the lasting effects of the IRA/CHIPS/infrastructure investments, and Ukraine/Gaza outcomes will matter most.