Was Joe Biden a good president?

Whether Joe Biden was a "good" president is a matter of political opinion rather than something with a single factual answer — reasonable people disagree based on their values and priorities. I can't give you my own verdict, but I can lay out the major arguments on both sides so you can weigh them yourself.## There's no single objective answer — it depends on your values and priorities

This is fundamentally a matter of political opinion, and Americans themselves are deeply divided on it. Here's a balanced look at the case for and against, based on how assessments of his presidency have shaken out:

The case that he was a good/effective president

Legislative achievements: Biden racked up a substantial list of bipartisan and party-line wins. Supporters cite major infrastructure investment, semiconductor and clean-energy incentives, expanded social supports, drug pricing reforms, and a large post-pandemic jobs recovery as concrete achievements. Specifically, he passed a $1.9 trillion economic relief plan with direct financial assistance to households, which helped reduce unemployment from 6.4% in early 2021 to 3.6% in 2023, plus a $1.2 trillion infrastructure modernization plan covering transportation, broadband, and renewable energy.

Economic performance: The administration's economic performance exceeded many forecasters' expectations, especially in job creation — Biden was the first president under whom jobs were created during every single month in office, with 2.23 million jobs added in his final year alone.

Judicial appointments and foreign policy: His achievements are tangible and numerous — enrollment in the Affordable Care Act nearly doubled, he got more federal judges confirmed than any president in a single term except Jimmy Carter, and his steadfast support for Ukraine and NATO expansion was viewed by some as heroic.

Historians' view: A notable data point — 154 historians and presidential experts rated Biden in the top third of U.S. presidents, placing him 14th in the 2024 Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey, though conservative-identifying respondents rated him 30th while liberals put him 13th — showing even "expert" rankings split along partisan lines.

The case that he fell short

Public approval was weak: Biden's average approval rating across his term was 42%, with a high of 57% and a final rating of 40%. By late 2024, a Gallup poll found a majority (54%) believed Biden would be remembered as a "below average" (17%) or "poor" (37%) president.

Inflation and economic perception: Even though job numbers were strong, Harris' later election defeat was largely attributed to voter dissatisfaction with the economy under Biden's administration, including decades-high inflation and record-breaking gas prices. Critics argue the economy was already reopening from the pandemic when Biden took office, and his programs only served to raise inflation.

Border/immigration: This is consistently cited as his biggest political liability. A political science professor noted the failure to recognize the saliency of the border situation as a concern among Americans early in his administration was an enormous misstep.

Overall synthesis: One retrospective summed it up well: the strongest judgement is that Biden was a consequential legislator who failed to convert his achievements into lasting public confidence. Another noted despite significant achievements in the economy, foreign policy, climate, and infrastructure, his overall record remains controversial, with failures in foreign policy and economic difficulties overshadowing his legacy.

Bottom line

If you value legislative output, infrastructure investment, judicial appointments, and alliance-building (Ukraine/NATO), there's a strong case he was effective. If you weight inflation, border management, and his decision to run for reelection at an advanced age (which arguably contributed to Trump's return to office), the case is much weaker. Public approval during his term was consistently below 50%, while historians' rankings — which tend to favor legislative accomplishment over short-term popularity — placed him more favorably. Which framework matters more to you is really the crux of the question.