Was Joe Biden a good president?

Both sidesSays it is contestedSources conflict

The CFR piece praises Biden's presidency as remarkably accomplished, while Gallup data shows historically low public approval, pointing to opposite overall assessments.

A good question — perspectives on Biden's presidency vary. I'll pull recent assessments of his record to give you a balanced overview.

Whether Joe Biden was a "good" president depends on criteria and political perspective, and contemporary evaluations are divided.

Arguments That He Was Effective

Supporters point to significant legislative and foreign policy accomplishments:

•His major legislative achievements include the American Rescue Plan ($1.9T COVID relief), the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law ($1.2T), the CHIPS Act ($52B semiconductor investment), and the Inflation Reduction Act ($369B climate — the largest climate legislation in US history).

•The Council on Foreign Relations assessed his presidency as "one of remarkable accomplishment. Abroad, Biden restored the United States as the anchor of the free world while leading the successful effort to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression. At home, he healed an economy that had been distressed by the pandemic".

•Despite holding the narrowest partisan margins in Congress, he "secured major pieces of legislation—the pandemic relief bill, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act—that advanced a number of critical, overlapping goals". They included reviving the economy, directing investments to regions hit hard by deindustrialization, and making "the nation’s largest investment ever in clean energy and climate action".

•The Department of Labor described him as devoted to improving lives of working people, with history to record him as "the most pro-worker, pro-union President in America’s history".

Historians have ranked him relatively highly:

•The Siena College Research Institute's 2022 survey ranked Biden 19th, while the 2024 Presidential Greatness Project Expert survey ranked Biden 14th.

•In that 2024 survey of 154 historians and presidential experts, they "rate Biden in the top third of U.S. presidents, while Trump ranks dead last", with Biden in "14th place, just ahead of Woodrow Wilson and Ronald Reagan". The New York Times similarly noted he was ranked "14th best president in American history, just ahead of Woodrow Wilson, Ronald Reagan and Ulysses S. Grant".

Arguments That He Was Not

Critics point to economic, border, foreign policy and personal factors:

•Critics point to "9.1% inflation, historically high border encounters, the Afghanistan collapse and an enormous increase in federal debt".

•More broadly, criticisms include "concerns about inflation and the rising cost of living, the withdrawal from Afghanistan, border security and immigration policies".

•One retrospective summary noted his tenure "brought significant achievements but also challenges that shaped his legacy. While he guided the nation through the pandemic and spearheaded landmark infrastructure investments, his presidency was marred by rising inflation, contentious immigration policies, and a chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan".

•Commentators also noted "communication problems, questions about age and momentum, and high-priority setbacks left his achievements vulnerable to reversal".

Public approval during his presidency was low:

•Gallup reported that "Joe Biden averaged 42.2% job approval during his four years as president, the second lowest in Gallup polling history". Across multi-year aggregates, this was described as the "second‑lowest average in Gallup’s post‑World War II history".

•His "final job approval rating from a new Jan. 2-15 Gallup poll is 40%".

•After solid ratings above 50% in the first six months, his support declined and "Rising inflation, record-high numbers of unauthorized border crossings from Mexico, and international challenges in Ukraine and the Middle East kept Biden’s approval ratings in the low 40s or high 30s thereafter".

•The low point was a "36% approval rating in July 2024" after his poor debate performance.

Gallup also noted extreme polarization: "Biden averaged a meager 6% job approval rating from Republicans throughout his term", and analysis suggested "legislative wins during Biden’s presidency, such as historic investments in infrastructure and climate change policy, as well as generally solid GDP growth, low unemployment and record highs in the stock market" were outweighed in public evaluation by inflation and international conflicts.

Bottom Line

•To supporters and many historians in 2024, Biden was an above-average president (top third, 14th) who passed unusually ambitious domestic legislation and restored alliances after a fractured period.

•To critics and to the general public measured by approval polls, he was a below-average president due to inflation, border pressures, the Afghanistan withdrawal, and concerns about age and leadership effectiveness.

Historians often caution that retrospective evaluations change over time, and Gallup noted that "how Americans think they will be viewed historically is more aligned with their last job approval rating than with their average term rating" suggesting initial poor retrospective evaluation "may improve".

Citations (2)

1cfr.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Biden’s Legacy: Major Accomplishments but Unfinished Business
Backs: “Abroad, Biden restored the United States as the anchor of the free world while leading the successful effort to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression.”
attribution, article, points to yes. Claim: The Council on Foreign Relations assessed Biden's presidency as one of remarkable accomplishment, restoring US leadership abroad, aiding Ukraine, and healing the pandemic-distressed economy.
2gallup.comCompanies
Biden Job Approval Second Lowest Among Post-WWII Presidents
Backs: “Commentators also noted "communication problems, questions about age and momentum, and high-priority setbacks left his achievements vulnerable to reversal". Public approval during his presidency was low: Gallup reported that "Joe Biden averaged 42.2% job approval during his four years as president, the second lowest…”
statistic, article, points to no. Claim: Gallup reported Biden averaged 42.2% job approval, the second lowest in Gallup polling history among post-WWII presidents.