Was Joe Biden a good president?

Assessments of whether Joe Biden was a "good" president vary widely. Like many modern presidents, his legacy is viewed differently depending on one’s political perspective, economic priorities, and the specific metrics used for evaluation.

Having served as the 46th President of the United States from 2021 to 2025, his term can be evaluated through his major achievements, his significant challenges, and how both historians and the public view his legacy.

The Case for a Successful Presidency (Key Accomplishments)

Supporters and center-left analysts argue that Biden’s presidency was highly consequential, pointing to a series of major legislative successes, economic recovery, and international leadership:

•Significant Legislative Output: Despite a highly polarized and narrowly divided Congress, Biden signed several landmark pieces of legislation into law:

•The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: A historic $1.2 trillion investment in roads, bridges, public transit, clean water, and broadband access.

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

•The CHIPS and Science Act: Aimed at boosting domestic manufacturing of semiconductors to reduce reliance on foreign supply chains.

•The PACT Act: Expanded healthcare access and benefits for millions of veterans exposed to toxic burn pits.

•Economic Recovery and Job Growth: Supporters highlight that the U.S. economy recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic faster and more robustly than most other developed nations. During his term, the U.S. saw historic job creation, with unemployment rates falling to 50-year lows.

•Strengthening International Alliances: Following the "America First" foreign policy of the previous administration, Biden worked to repair and strengthen traditional alliances. His administration played a central role in rallying NATO and European allies to support Ukraine after Russia’s 2022 invasion.

•Judicial Diversity: Biden appointed Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black female Supreme Court Justice, along with a record-setting number of diverse federal judges.

The Case Against His Presidency (Key Criticisms & Failures)

Critics, primarily Republicans and independent voters, argue that Biden's presidency was marked by economic hardship at home and instability abroad:

•Inflation and Cost of Living: Opponents argue that Biden's early spending packages—particularly the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan—injected too much money into the economy and triggered the highest inflation in 40 years. Although inflation eventually cooled, the high cost of groceries, housing, and everyday goods remained a major source of voter frustration throughout his term.

•Immigration and Border Security: The southern U.S. border faced record-breaking numbers of migrant crossings during Biden’s presidency. Critics blamed his administration’s rollback of certain Trump-era border policies for creating a humanitarian and security crisis that strained resources in cities across the country.

•The Afghanistan Withdrawal: The August 2021 withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan was widely criticized as chaotic and poorly executed. The rapid collapse of the Afghan government, the return of the Taliban, and a terrorist attack that killed 13 U.S. service members marked a turning point from which Biden's approval ratings never fully recovered.

•Foreign Policy Instability: Critics argue that global stability deteriorated under Biden’s watch, pointing to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the outbreak of the war in the Middle East following the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel. While supporters praised his steady diplomacy, critics viewed these conflicts as signs of American weakness on the global stage.

•Age and Concerns Over Leadership: Concerns about Biden's age (he was 81 by the end of his term) and cognitive fitness were a persistent vulnerability. A disappointing debate performance in June 2024 intensified these concerns, ultimately leading to his decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris.

Public Perception vs. Historical Rankings

Evaluating Biden's presidency also reveals a stark divide between public opinion and the consensus among academic historians:

•The General Public: Public approval of Biden’s presidency was deeply polarized. After starting with high approval in 2021, his ratings declined after the Afghanistan withdrawal and the rise of inflation. He ended his presidency in January 2025 with an approval rating of approximately 40% to 42%. In a Gallup poll conducted at the end of his term, 54% of Americans expected history to remember him as a "below average" or "poor" president, while only 19% believed he would be remembered as "outstanding" or "above average."

•Presidential Historians: Conversely, academic scholars and political scientists have rated Biden much more favorably. In the 2024 Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey (conducted by presidential scholars), Biden was ranked 14th out of 45 presidents. Historians praised his ability to pass major legislation through a divided Congress, his decades of governance experience, and his role in returning the presidency to traditional institutional norms.

Conclusion

Whether Joe Biden was a good president is a matter of perspective. To his supporters, he was a highly productive legislative leader who guided the nation through a successful post-pandemic transition and restored international alliances. To his critics, he was a weak leader whose policies fueled inflation, failed to secure the border, and presided over a period of heightened global instability.

Citations (9)

1wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
wikipedia.org
Backs: “Having served as the 46th President of the United States from 2021 to 2025, his term can be evaluated through his major achievements, his significant challenges, and how both historians and the public view his legacy.”
2wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
wikipedia.org
Backs: “Having served as the 46th President of the United States from 2021 to 2025, his term can be evaluated through his major achievements, his significant challenges, and how both historians and the public view his legacy.”
3democratsabroad.orgNonprofits and think tanks
democratsabroad.org
Backs: “Economic Recovery and Job Growth: Supporters highlight that the U.S. economy recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic faster and more robustly than most other developed nations. During his term, the U.S.”
4gallup.comCompanies
gallup.com
Backs: “The rapid collapse of the Afghan government, the return of the Taliban, and a terrorist attack that killed 13 U.S. service members marked a turning point from which Biden's approval ratings never fully recovered. Foreign Policy Instability: Critics argue that global stability deteriorated under Biden’s watch, pointing…”
5activote.netNot yet classified
activote.net
Backs: “He ended his presidency in January 2025 with an approval rating of approximately 40% to 42%. In a Gallup poll conducted at the end of his term, 54% of Americans expected history to remember him as a "below average" or "poor" president, while only 19% believed he would be remembered as "outstanding" or "above average."”
6gallup.comCompanies
gallup.com
Backs: “In a Gallup poll conducted at the end of his term, 54% of Americans expected history to remember him as a "below average" or "poor" president, while only 19% believed he would be remembered as "outstanding" or "above average.". Presidential Historians: Conversely, academic scholars and political scientists have rated…”
7facebook.comSocial media and video
facebook.com
Backs: “In a Gallup poll conducted at the end of his term, 54% of Americans expected history to remember him as a "below average" or "poor" president, while only 19% believed he would be remembered as "outstanding" or "above average.". Presidential Historians: Conversely, academic scholars and political scientists have rated…”
8youtube.comSocial media and video
youtube.com
Backs: “In a Gallup poll conducted at the end of his term, 54% of Americans expected history to remember him as a "below average" or "poor" president, while only 19% believed he would be remembered as "outstanding" or "above average.". Presidential Historians: Conversely, academic scholars and political scientists have rated…”
9wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
wikipedia.org
Backs: “Historians praised his ability to pass major legislation through a divided Congress, his decades of governance experience, and his role in returning the presidency to traditional institutional norms. Conclusion”