Was Joe Biden a good president?

Assessing the presidency of Joe Biden (2021–2025) is a subject of significant debate. Whether he was a "good" president depends heavily on which political and economic metrics one prioritizes. His term was marked by major legislative achievements, a robust post-pandemic job market, and a return to institutional normalcy. At the same time, his administration faced deep public frustration over inflation, border security, high-profile foreign policy crises, and concerns over his age.

An overview of the major achievements and criticisms of his presidency highlights the differing perspectives.

The Case For His Presidency (Achievements)

Supporters and many historians argue that Biden was a highly consequential and successful president, pointing to several key areas:

•Major Legislative Accomplishments: Working with narrow congressional majorities, Biden signed several historic, bipartisan, and sweeping pieces of legislation into law:

•The American Rescue Plan (2021): A $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package that funded vaccine distribution, sent direct stimulus checks to Americans, and temporarily slashed child poverty.

•The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (2021): A $1.2 trillion investment to rebuild roads, bridges, public transit, clean water access, and high-speed broadband.

•The CHIPS and Science Act (2022): Legislation aimed at boosting domestic manufacturing of semiconductor chips to reduce reliance on foreign supply chains.

•The Inflation Reduction Act (2022): The largest federal investment in climate change mitigation in U.S. history, which also allowed Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices and capped insulin costs for seniors.

•Economic and Job Growth: Biden's presidency oversaw a massive labor market recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic, with historically low unemployment rates (often hovering under 4%) and millions of new jobs created. He was also widely regarded as one of the most pro-labor presidents in modern history, becoming the first sitting president to walk a union picket line.

•Foreign Policy and Alliances: Biden worked to restore traditional international alliances, strengthening NATO and building coalitions to support Ukraine in its defense against the 2022 Russian invasion.

•Judicial Diversity: He appointed Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black female Supreme Court Justice and successfully appointed over 200 diverse federal judges to the bench.

•Democratic Norms: Supporters credit him with restoring respect for democratic norms, institutions, and the traditional presidency following the polarization and turmoil surrounding the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

The Case Against His Presidency (Criticisms)

Critics, including Republicans and a significant portion of the public, argue that his administration's policies harmed the country. They point to several major failures:

•Inflation and the Economy: Opponents argue that Biden's massive government spending, particularly the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, overstimulated the economy and triggered the highest inflation in 40 years. Although the economy added jobs, high interest rates and the soaring cost of groceries, housing, and gas deeply eroded the purchasing power of average Americans.

•The Afghanistan Withdrawal: The chaotic U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 was widely criticized. The operation resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members in a terrorist attack, left behind billions of dollars in military equipment, and led to the rapid recapture of the country by the Taliban. This event marked a permanent downward shift in Biden's public approval ratings.

•Border and Immigration Security: The Biden administration faced severe criticism for its handling of the U.S. southern border, which saw record numbers of migrant crossings. Critics accused the administration of failing to enforce strict border policies, which strained local resources in cities across the country.

•Age and Cognitive Health: As the oldest sitting president in U.S. history, questions about Biden's physical and mental fitness persisted throughout his term. This issue came to a head during a disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump in June 2024. Under intense pressure from his own party, Biden ultimately withdrew from the 2024 presidential race.

•Late-Term Controversies: Critics point to actions like his December 2024 pardon of his son, Hunter Biden—which directly contradicted his repeated public promises that he would not use his executive authority to do so—as a blow to his pledge of restoring absolute integrity to the office.

Where He Stands: Historians vs. The Public

Assessments of Biden’s presidency reveal a stark contrast between academic historians and the general public:

•Historians' Perspective: In academic surveys of presidential greatness (such as the Presidential Greatness Project and Siena College Research Institute polls), scholars have ranked Biden relatively high—often placing him in the top third of all U.S. presidents (around 14th place). Historians tend to heavily weigh major legislative output and the preservation of democratic institutions.

•Public Perspective: In contrast, general public opinion has been much more negative. Polls taken toward the end of his term, such as a Gallup poll in early 2025, showed that a majority of Americans viewed him as "below average" or "poor". For the average voter, day-to-day economic struggles with inflation and high interest rates overshadowed his legislative achievements.

Conclusion

Whether Joe Biden was a "good" president remains a matter of perspective. To those who value institutional stability, progressive climate policy, major infrastructure investment, and pro-labor economic measures, his single term was highly successful. To those who judge a president by the cost of living, border security, international stability, and executive strength, his term was marked by significant shortcomings.

Citations (10)

1britannica.comEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
britannica.com
Backs: “Assessing the presidency of Joe Biden (2021–2025) is a subject of significant debate. Whether he was a "good" president depends heavily on which political and economic metrics one prioritizes.”
2wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
wikipedia.org
Backs: “Assessing the presidency of Joe Biden (2021–2025) is a subject of significant debate. Whether he was a "good" president depends heavily on which political and economic metrics one prioritizes.”
3millercenter.orgAcademic
millercenter.org
Backs: “His term was marked by major legislative achievements, a robust post-pandemic job market, and a return to institutional normalcy. At the same time, his administration faced deep public frustration over inflation, border security, high-profile foreign policy crises, and concerns over his age.”
4cfr.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cfr.org
Backs: “His term was marked by major legislative achievements, a robust post-pandemic job market, and a return to institutional normalcy. At the same time, his administration faced deep public frustration over inflation, border security, high-profile foreign policy crises, and concerns over his age.”
5rooseveltinstitute.orgNonprofits and think tanks
rooseveltinstitute.org
Backs: “His term was marked by major legislative achievements, a robust post-pandemic job market, and a return to institutional normalcy. At the same time, his administration faced deep public frustration over inflation, border security, high-profile foreign policy crises, and concerns over his age.”
6latimes.comNews and mediaquality 0.85
latimes.com
Backs: “His term was marked by major legislative achievements, a robust post-pandemic job market, and a return to institutional normalcy. At the same time, his administration faced deep public frustration over inflation, border security, high-profile foreign policy crises, and concerns over his age.”
7iheart.comNot yet classified
iheart.com
Backs: “At the same time, his administration faced deep public frustration over inflation, border security, high-profile foreign policy crises, and concerns over his age.”
8bidenlibrary.govGovernment
bidenlibrary.gov
Backs: “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (2021): A $1.2 trillion investment to rebuild roads, bridges, public transit, clean water access, and high-speed broadband.”
9democratsabroad.orgNonprofits and think tanks
democratsabroad.org
Backs: “The Inflation Reduction Act (2022): The largest federal investment in climate change mitigation in U.S. history, which also allowed Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices and capped insulin costs for seniors. Economic and Job Growth: Biden's presidency oversaw a massive labor market recovery following the…”
10wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
wikipedia.org
Backs: “Historians tend to heavily weigh major legislative output and the preservation of democratic institutions. Public Perspective: In contrast, general public opinion has been much more negative.”