Whether Joe Biden was a "good" president is inherently subjective and depends on political values, priorities, and how one weighs different outcomes. Rather than giving you my own verdict, I can lay out the major arguments on both sides so you can form your own judgment.
Arguments in favor:
•Economic recovery: Unemployment stayed historically low for much of his term, and the economy avoided a widely predicted recession despite high inflation.
•Legislative achievements: He signed significant bills including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the CHIPS and Science Act (boosting domestic semiconductor manufacturing), and the Inflation Reduction Act (climate investments, drug pricing reform, including insulin price caps for Medicare).
•COVID response: His administration oversaw widespread vaccine distribution and economic stimulus (American Rescue Plan) early in his term.
•Foreign policy coalition-building: Supporters credit him with rallying NATO and Western allies in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
•Judicial appointments: He appointed Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman on the Supreme Court.
Arguments against:
•Inflation: Prices rose sharply in 2021-2022, reaching 40-year highs, which hurt his approval ratings and was a major issue in the 2024 election.
•Border/immigration: Critics point to record levels of illegal border crossings during parts of his term as a policy failure.
•Afghanistan withdrawal: The chaotic 2021 pullout, including the Kabul airport attack that killed 13 U.S. service members, is widely seen as a low point.
•Age and fitness concerns: Questions about his age and mental acuity grew throughout his term, culminating in his withdrawal from the 2024 race after a widely criticized debate performance.
•Foreign policy criticism: His handling of the Israel-Gaza conflict drew criticism from multiple directions — some felt he was too supportive of Israel, others felt he didn't do enough to restrain it.
Historical assessment: Presidential legacies are typically judged more clearly with time and distance. His term ended in January 2025, so it's still fairly early for historians to have settled views, and his standing may shift as longer-term effects of his policies (economic, climate, foreign policy) play out.
If you want, I can dig deeper into any specific policy area — economy, foreign policy, judicial appointments, etc. — with more current data and expert assessments.