Was Joe Biden a good president? I'll gather a balanced assessment of his record — from achievements to criticisms.
Whether Joe Biden was a "good" president is subjective and depends on what criteria are weighted most heavily. Historians, public opinion polls, and partisan evaluations have offered different assessments of his term from January 20, 2021 to January 20, 2025.
How Historians and Polls Have Ranked Him
•Historians' ranking: In the 2024 Presidential Greatness Project survey of experts who are members of the American Political Science Association, Biden was ranked 14th with a rating of 62.7, placing him in the top third of presidents. A separate summary noted the survey was conducted from November 2023 to December 2023 with 154 historians and presidential experts. Scholars have noted the judgment is still somewhat "in progress".
•Public approval: Gallup polling found Biden averaged 42.2% job approval during his four years, the second lowest in Gallup polling history, with a final job approval rating of 40% in a Jan. 2-15 poll. By the end of 2023, his approval was 39%. Analyses noted that despite significant wage increases and rapid job growth, public worries regarding inflation contributed to a perception that Biden was mismanaging the economy, which contributed to his low approval.
Achievements Cited by Supporters
Supporters point to several major legislative and policy accomplishments:
1.Major legislation: As president, Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and recession, signed bipartisan bills on infrastructure and manufacturing, and proposed the Build Back Better Act, part of which was incorporated into the Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022. On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law, marking one of the largest investments in the American economy, energy security, and climate that Congress has made.
2.Economic and domestic policy: The administration shepherded the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the CHIPS and Science Act, which aimed to modernize roads, broadband and semiconductor production. Early in the term the American Rescue Plan delivered $1.9 trillion in relief, credited with accelerating recovery from the pandemic, and the administration achieved prescription drug reforms including negotiating prices for certain Medicare drugs.
3.Foreign policy: Biden strengthened alliances — reaffirming NATO and rallying support for Ukraine — actions often cited as restoring multilateral U.S. leadership. In 2022, Biden supported Finland's and Sweden's bids to join NATO.
Supportive economic analyses have also noted that for data through November 2024, Biden on average had the lowest unemployment rate (4.12%) among presidents going back to 1964, and was the first president to oversee monthly job gains for the entirety of his presidency: 16.6 million jobs added.
Criticisms and Failures Cited by Critics
Critics emphasize a different set of issues:
1.Afghanistan withdrawal: Biden withdrew U.S. troops from Afghanistan in a chaotic exit, after which the Taliban swiftly retook control. The withdrawal stands as a stark failure in planning and execution, drawing bipartisan criticism.
2.Inflation and economy: Inflation remained a persistent problem throughout the presidency, with consumer prices rising substantially between 2020 and 2024 and inflation becoming a central voter concern; critics argue the administration failed to solve or adequately communicate its economic strategy.
3.Immigration and border: The administration's border management drew sharp criticism. While the White House claimed reduced irregular migration from parts of Central America under its strategies, critics argue Biden reversed deterrence-focused policies and presided over a border crisis that damaged public confidence. Concerns about inflation and immigration were specifically noted as factors in his declining approval.
4.Age, health, and politics: Concerns about Biden's age and health persisted throughout his presidency. He initially ran for reelection in 2024, but after his performance in the first presidential debate, intensifying scrutiny led him to withdraw his candidacy.
Summary Assessment
Retrospective analyses often describe Biden's presidency as mixed and consequential:
> The record combines substantive policy accomplishments — in infrastructure, industry policy, drug pricing, social supports and judicial appointments — with glaring failures and political liabilities in Afghanistan, inflation control, border politics, and messaging; assessments therefore depend heavily on whether one weights durable institutional change and legislation or immediate crises and political consequences more heavily