Was Joe Biden a good president?

Evaluating the presidency of Joe Biden (who served as the 46th president from January 20, 2021, to January 20, 2025) is a highly subjective exercise. Like many presidencies, how his term is viewed depends heavily on an individual's political ideology, economic priorities, and personal values.

While presidential scholars and historians have praised his significant domestic achievements, the public has often judged him more harshly due to the lingering effects of inflation and global instability.

Arguments for a Positive Assessment (The Accomplishments)

Supporters and center-left historians argue that Biden was a highly consequential president who achieved remarkable domestic policy victories, often with bipartisan support.

•Major Legislative Achievements: Biden signed several pieces of landmark legislation that experts compare in scope to the domestic programs of Lyndon B. Johnson or Franklin D. Roosevelt:

•The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (2021): A bipartisan $1.2 trillion investment to rebuild America's roads, bridges, public transit, clean water systems, and broadband internet.

•The CHIPS and Science Act (2022): Designed to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing and scientific research, reducing U.S. reliance on foreign supply chains (specifically China).

•The Inflation Reduction Act (2022): The most significant federal investment in green energy and climate change initiatives in U.S. history, which also authorized Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices for the first time.

•The American Rescue Plan (2021): A massive COVID-19 relief package that funded nationwide vaccine distribution, kept schools open, and sent direct stimulus checks to Americans.

•Economic and Job Growth: Biden's term saw a historic post-pandemic economic recovery. The U.S. added over 15 million jobs during his term, the unemployment rate fell to historic lows (consistently remaining below 4% for the longest stretch in decades), and wages rose—particularly for lower-income workers.

•Rebuilding Global Alliances: Following years of "America First" foreign policy, Biden focused on repairing traditional alliances. Following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, he united the Western coalition, expanded NATO to include Finland and Sweden, and re-entered international agreements like the Paris Climate Accord.

•Judicial Diversity: He appointed Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman to the Supreme Court and successfully appointed a historic number of diverse, highly qualified federal judges.

Arguments for a Negative Assessment (The Criticisms)

Critics, primarily Republicans and conservative commentators, argue that Biden’s presidency was defined by economic strain, weakness abroad, and domestic mismanagement.

•Inflation and the Cost of Living: Although the U.S. experienced robust job growth, it was accompanied by the worst inflation in 40 years, peaking at over 9% in mid-2022. While inflation eventually cooled, the cumulative increase in the prices of groceries, housing, and gas severely strained household budgets. Critics blame Biden's early multi-trillion-dollar spending packages for fueling this inflation.

•Border Security and Immigration: A record-breaking surge of migrants crossing the U.S.–Mexico border became a persistent crisis. Critics accused the Biden administration of rolling back effective border enforcement policies too early, which overwhelmed federal resources and strained major cities that absorbed incoming migrants.

•Foreign Policy Setbacks:

•The Afghanistan Withdrawal (2021): The chaotic U.S. military exit from Afghanistan in August 2021 led to a rapid Taliban takeover and the tragic deaths of 13 U.S. service members. This event severely damaged Biden’s public approval rating, a blow from which his numbers never fully recovered.

•Global Instability: Detractors argue that under Biden, U.S. global deterrence weakened, pointing to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the escalation of the Israel–Hamas war. His handling of the Gaza conflict alienated both progressives (who opposed military aid to Israel) and conservatives (who felt his support of Israel was not strong enough).

•Age, Decline, and the 2024 Withdrawal: As the oldest president in U.S. history, Biden faced persistent scrutiny over his physical and mental stamina. Following a disastrous debate performance in June 2024, heavy pressure from his own party forced him to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. Critics argue that the Democratic Party shielded his cognitive decline from the public for too long.

•The Pardon of Hunter Biden: Late in his term, Biden issued a sweeping pardon to his son, Hunter Biden, after repeatedly promising the public that he would not use his executive authority to intervene in his son's legal battles.

Public Perception vs. Historical Rankings

There is a stark contrast between how the general public and presidential scholars evaluate Joe Biden.

•Scholarly Perspective: In early 2024, a survey of nearly 200 presidential historians and political scientists (the Presidential Greatness Project) ranked Biden as the 14th greatest president in U.S. history. Scholars highly valued his immense legislative output, his management of the pandemic recovery, and his stabilization of democratic norms. However, some political analysts suggest his historical ranking may adjust downward over time due to his forced exit from the 2024 race and Donald Trump's subsequent return to the presidency.

•Public Opinion: General public approval of Biden was consistently low for the latter half of his presidency. A Gallup poll conducted at the end of his term in January 2025 revealed that 54% of Americans believed history would judge him as "below average" or "poor," compared to only 19% who felt he would be remembered as "above average" or "outstanding".

Conclusion

Was Joe Biden a good president?

For supporters, the answer is yes: they point to a highly productive legislative record, massive green energy transitions, low unemployment, and a commitment to preserving democratic institutions.

For detractors, the answer is no: they point to the painful erosion of purchasing power due to inflation, an insecure southern border, a humiliating withdrawal from Afghanistan, and a perception of weak leadership that culminated in his party replacing him on the 2024 ballot.

Citations (8)

1cuny.eduAcademic
cuny.edu
Backs: “Roosevelt:”
2democratsabroad.orgNonprofits and think tanks
democratsabroad.org
Backs: “Judicial Diversity: He appointed Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman to the Supreme Court and successfully appointed a historic number of diverse, highly qualified federal judges.”
3washingtontimes.comNews and mediaquality 0.35
washingtontimes.com
Backs: “This event severely damaged Biden’s public approval rating, a blow from which his numbers never fully recovered. Global Instability: Detractors argue that under Biden, U.S.”
4capradio.orgNot yet classified
capradio.org
Backs: “Scholarly Perspective: In early 2024, a survey of nearly 200 presidential historians and political scientists (the Presidential Greatness Project) ranked Biden as the 14th greatest president in U.S. history. Scholars highly valued his immense legislative output, his management of the pandemic recovery, and his…”
5uh.eduAcademic
uh.edu
Backs: “Scholarly Perspective: In early 2024, a survey of nearly 200 presidential historians and political scientists (the Presidential Greatness Project) ranked Biden as the 14th greatest president in U.S. history. Scholars highly valued his immense legislative output, his management of the pandemic recovery, and his…”
6facebook.comSocial media and video
facebook.com
Backs: “Scholars highly valued his immense legislative output, his management of the pandemic recovery, and his stabilization of democratic norms. However, some political analysts suggest his historical ranking may adjust downward over time due to his forced exit from the 2024 race and Donald Trump's subsequent return to the…”
7gallup.comCompanies
gallup.com
Backs: “Public Opinion: General public approval of Biden was consistently low for the latter half of his presidency. A Gallup poll conducted at the end of his term in January 2025 revealed that 54% of Americans believed history would judge him as "below average" or "poor," compared to only 19% who felt he would be remembered…”
8gallup.comCompanies
gallup.com
Backs: “A Gallup poll conducted at the end of his term in January 2025 revealed that 54% of Americans believed history would judge him as "below average" or "poor," compared to only 19% who felt he would be remembered as "above average" or "outstanding". Conclusion”