Was Joe Biden a good president?

Short answer: it depends on what you value most. Here’s a concise scorecard people across the spectrum often use.

What supporters point to

•Big laws with long-term impact: a bipartisan infrastructure package (roads, bridges, broadband), the CHIPS and Science Act to spur semiconductor manufacturing, the Inflation Reduction Act (clean‑energy incentives, Medicare drug reforms), the first major federal gun‑safety law in decades, and expanded care for toxic‑exposed veterans.[1]

•A strong post‑pandemic labor market: millions of jobs were added and unemployment stayed near historic lows, while inflation—after peaking in June 2022—eased substantially by the end of his term.[2]

•Rebuilding alliances and deterrence: coordinated support for Ukraine, the AUKUS security pact with the U.K. and Australia, and NATO’s expansion to include Finland (April 4, 2023) and Sweden (March 7, 2024).[3]

•Climate and industrial policy: the IRA’s incentives helped catalyze clean‑energy and manufacturing investment, while U.S. oil production nonetheless hit an all‑time record in 2023 (a point some see as energy security, others as a climate concern).[4]

What critics focus on

•The inflation shock of 2021–2022 squeezed living standards; several measures of real pay fell over the full term even as they improved late in 2023–2024.[2]

•Border pressures: migrant encounters at the southern border reached record highs during FY2023–FY2024, straining the system and politics around immigration.[5]

•Afghanistan: the 2021 withdrawal was chaotic; the State Department’s after‑action review faulted planning and communication across both administrations.[6]

•Persistently weak approval: Biden’s Gallup average over his four years was about 42%, among the lowest of modern presidents—evidence to many of public dissatisfaction.[7]

Bottom line

•If your yardsticks are major legislation, alliance management, and a resilient job market after COVID, you’ll likely rate him positively. If you prioritize price stability, border control, or the execution of Afghanistan, you’ll be more critical.

•Happy to tailor a deeper dive—economy, immigration, foreign policy, climate/energy, or health care (e.g., Medicare insulin cap and drug‑price negotiations)—to whatever matters most to you.[8]

Citations (8)

1govinfo.govGovernment
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-117hr3684enr/html/BILLS-117hr3684enr.htm
Backs: “Big laws with long-term impact: a bipartisan infrastructure package (roads, bridges, broadband), the CHIPS and Science Act to spur semiconductor manufacturing, the Inflation Reduction Act (clean‑energy incentives, Medicare drug reforms), the first major federal gun‑safety law in decades, and expanded care for…”
2factcheck.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Biden's Final Numbers - FactCheck.org
Backs: “A strong post‑pandemic labor market: millions of jobs were added and unemployment stayed near historic lows, while inflation—after peaking in June 2022—eased substantially by the end of his term.”
3govinfo.govGovernment
DCPD202100750
Backs: “Rebuilding alliances and deterrence: coordinated support for Ukraine, the AUKUS security pact with the U.K. and Australia, and NATO’s expansion to include Finland (April 4, 2023) and Sweden (March 7, 2024).”
4govinfo.govGovernment
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-117publ169/html/PLAW-117publ169.htm
Backs: “Climate and industrial policy: the IRA’s incentives helped catalyze clean‑energy and manufacturing investment, while U.S. oil production nonetheless hit an all‑time record in 2023 (a point some see as energy security, others as a climate concern).”
5dhs.govGovernment
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Backs: “Border pressures: migrant encounters at the southern border reached record highs during FY2023–FY2024, straining the system and politics around immigration.”
6state.govGovernment
Microsoft Word - Final Report Compiled
Backs: “Afghanistan: the 2021 withdrawal was chaotic; the State Department’s after‑action review faulted planning and communication across both administrations.”
7gallup.comCompanies
Biden Job Approval Second Lowest Among Post-WWII Presidents
Backs: “Biden’s Gallup average over his four years was about 42%, among the lowest of modern presidents—evidence to many of public dissatisfaction.”
8medicare.govGovernment
Insulin
Backs: “Happy to tailor a deeper dive—economy, immigration, foreign policy, climate/energy, or health care (e.g., Medicare insulin cap and drug‑price negotiations)—to whatever matters most to you.”