Was Joe Biden a good president?

Short answer: it depends on what you care about most. Here’s a compact scorecard with concrete results (and the big criticisms) from Joe Biden’s presidency (January 20, 2021–January 20, 2025).

Economy and jobs — mixed but mostly strong by the end

•Jobs and growth: The U.S. added about 15.4 million payroll jobs during Biden’s term, with unemployment averaging 4.1% and hitting a low of 3.4% in April 2023; real GDP grew at least 2.5% each calendar year from 2021–2024.[1]

•Inflation: Prices spiked in 2021–2022 (peaking at 9.1% year‑over‑year in June 2022) then cooled substantially by late 2024–2025, though the price level remained higher.[1]

Big laws and industrial policy — a major legacy

•Major legislation: American Rescue Plan (Mar 11, 2021), Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Nov 15, 2021), CHIPS and Science Act (Aug 9, 2022), and Inflation Reduction Act (Aug 16, 2022). These collectively expanded infrastructure spending, pushed semiconductor manufacturing onshore, and created the largest-ever federal climate/clean‑energy package.[2]

•CHIPS implementation: By 2024–2025 Commerce announced multibillion‑dollar awards to Intel, TSMC, Samsung, Micron and others to build/expand U.S. fabs.[3]

•Clean energy/build‑out: U.S. renewables hit a record share of power generation in 2024; clean‑energy investment rose sharply after the IRA.[4]

Health care and drug costs — measurable wins for seniors; record ACA signup

•Medicare and drug prices: The IRA capped insulin for Medicare at $35/month, set a $2,000 annual Part D out‑of‑pocket cap starting in 2025, and launched Medicare drug‑price negotiation with the first negotiated prices taking effect Jan 1, 2026.[5]

•Coverage: ACA marketplace enrollment set records, with about 24.2 million signups for plan year 2025, up from ~21.4 million in 2024.[6]

•Student loans: The Supreme Court struck down Biden’s broad cancellation plan (June 30, 2023), but targeted fixes and discharges still erased roughly $180–$189 billion for more than 5 million borrowers by January 2025.[7]

Public safety — data improved late in his term

•Crime: FBI data show violent crime declined in 2024, with murder down notably from 2020; early FBI reporting indicated further broad declines in 2025.[8]

•Gun policy: Signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (June 25, 2022), the first major federal gun‑safety law in decades.[9]

Foreign policy — some wins, some stumbles

•Afghanistan: He completed the U.S. withdrawal by Aug 30, 2021; the chaotic Kabul evacuation and the ISIS‑K attack that killed 13 U.S. service members drew heavy criticism.[10]

•Ukraine/NATO: The U.S. led large security‑aid efforts for Ukraine; NATO expanded with Finland (Apr 4, 2023) and Sweden (Mar 7, 2024).[11]

•Middle East: Managed the complex Israel‑Hamas war starting Oct 2023 while facing protests from both left and right over the administration’s approach; assessments of this are strongly value‑driven and divided.

Immigration and the border — a major vulnerability

•Record encounters at the southwest border became a persistent political liability. In June 2024 Biden issued a proclamation to restrict asylum eligibility when illegal crossings exceed a rolling 2,500/day average; encounters fell notably afterward, but the issue remained contentious.[12]

Fiscal picture — deficits/debt remained large

•Despite IRA revenue measures and IRS enforcement funding, overall federal deficits stayed historically high; CBO projects a $1.9 trillion deficit for FY2026 under current law.[13]

Courts and governance

•Appointed Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman on the Supreme Court (sworn in June 30, 2022).[14]

•Special counsel probe over classified documents ended with no charges (Feb 8, 2024), though the report’s language about memory drew attention. House Republicans pursued an impeachment inquiry but did not adopt articles.[15]

How people usually judge him

•If you prioritize job growth, industrial policy, infrastructure, Medicare drug reforms, record ACA enrollment, NATO unity, and declining violent crime in 2024, you’re likely to see Biden as effective.[1]

•If you prioritize low inflation/prices, strict border control, the Afghanistan exit, and smaller deficits, you’re more likely to judge him harshly.[1]

If you tell me which issues matter most to you (economy, prices, immigration, climate, foreign policy, etc.), I can give a more tailored “good or not” assessment for those priorities.

Citations (15)

1factcheck.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Biden's Final Numbers - FactCheck.org
Backs: “The U.S. added about 15.4 million payroll jobs during Biden’s term, with unemployment averaging 4.1% and hitting a low of 3.4% in April 2023; real GDP grew at least 2.5% each calendar year from 2021–2024.”
2congress.govGovernment
PUBLIC LAW 117–2—MAR. 11, 2021
Backs: “These collectively expanded infrastructure spending, pushed semiconductor manufacturing onshore, and created the largest-ever federal climate/clean‑energy package.”
3intc.comNot yet classified
Intel and Biden-Harris Administration Finalize $7.86 Billion Funding Award Under US CHIPS Act :: Intel Corporation (INTC)
Backs: “By 2024–2025 Commerce announced multibillion‑dollar awards to Intel, TSMC, Samsung, Micron and others to build/expand U.S. fabs.”
4eia.govGovernment
U.S. energy facts - data and statistics - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
Backs: “U.S. renewables hit a record share of power generation in 2024; clean‑energy investment rose sharply after the IRA.”
5cms.govGovernment
CMS Releases Preliminary 2025 Medicare Part D Bid Information and Announces Premium Stabilization Demonstration | CMS
Backs: “The IRA capped insulin for Medicare at $35/month, set a $2,000 annual Part D out‑of‑pocket cap starting in 2025, and launched Medicare drug‑price negotiation with the first negotiated prices taking effect Jan 1, 2026.”
6cms.govGovernment
Over 24 Million Consumers Selected Affordable Health Coverage in ACA Marketplace for 2025 | CMS
Backs: “ACA marketplace enrollment set records, with about 24.2 million signups for plan year 2025, up from ~21.4 million in 2024.”
7supremecourt.govGovernment
22-506 Biden v. Nebraska (06/30/2023)
Backs: “The Supreme Court struck down Biden’s broad cancellation plan (June 30, 2023), but targeted fixes and discharges still erased roughly $180–$189 billion for more than 5 million borrowers by January 2025.”
8cjis.govGovernment
Extended-Year Violent and Property Crime Trends, 2005-2024
Backs: “FBI data show violent crime declined in 2024, with murder down notably from 2020; early FBI reporting indicated further broad declines in 2025.”
9govinfo.govGovernment
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-117publ159/html/PLAW-117publ159.htm
Backs: “Signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (June 25, 2022), the first major federal gun‑safety law in decades.”
10defense.govGovernment
Biden Announces Full U.S. Troop Withdrawal From Afghanistan by Sept. 11 > U.S. Department of Defense > Defense Department News
Backs: “He completed the U.S. withdrawal by Aug 30, 2021; the chaotic Kabul evacuation and the ISIS‑K attack that killed 13 U.S. service members drew heavy criticism.”
11everycrsreport.comEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.91
https://www.everycrsreport.com/files/2026-07-10_IF12040_085e5d8cfb29115f0f3829ca49be931a9d523977.html
Backs: “NATO expanded with Finland (Apr 4, 2023) and Sweden (Mar 7, 2024).”
12factcheck.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Q&A on Biden's Border Order - FactCheck.org
Backs: “In June 2024 Biden issued a proclamation to restrict asylum eligibility when illegal crossings exceed a rolling 2,500/day average; encounters fell notably afterward, but the issue remained contentious.”
13cbo.govGovernment
The Budget and Economic Outlook: 2026 to 2036 | Congressional Budget Office
Backs: “CBO projects a $1.9 trillion deficit for FY2026 under current law.”
14supremecourt.govGovernment
Press Releases - pr_09-19-22 - Supreme Court of the United States
Backs: “Appointed Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman on the Supreme Court (sworn in June 30, 2022).”
15factcheck.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Biden's Claims About Special Counsel Report on Classified Documents Investigation - FactCheck.org
Backs: “House Republicans pursued an impeachment inquiry but did not adopt articles.”