Was Joe Biden a good president?

Evaluating the presidency of Joe Biden (2021–2025) is a highly debated topic, with assessments varying widely depending on economic, social, and foreign policy perspectives.

There is a stark contrast between how presidential historians and political scientists view his legacy and how the general American public evaluates it:

•Historian Rankings: In professional surveys, such as the 2024 Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey, political scientists and historians ranked Biden relatively high, placing him 14th out of 46 presidents. Scholars often emphasize his massive legislative output, management of the pandemic, and efforts to rebuild traditional alliances.

•Public Opinion: Public polls show a much more critical view. A Gallup poll conducted near the end of his term in late 2024 showed that 54% of Americans expected Biden to be remembered as a "below average" or "poor" president, with his overall job approval rating consistently hovering in the high 30s to low 40s.

The primary arguments for and against the success of the Biden presidency highlight these differing views:

The Case for a Successful Presidency (Key Achievements)

Supporters and historians point to several major legislative, economic, and foreign policy achievements:

1.Landmark Legislative Productivity: Despite a razor-thin Democratic majority in Congress during his first two years, Biden passed some of the most significant domestic policy legislation in decades:

•The American Rescue Plan (2021): A $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package.

•The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (2021): A historic, bipartisan $1.2 trillion investment in roads, bridges, public transit, and clean water.

•The CHIPS and Science Act (2022): Billions of dollars aimed at boosting domestic semiconductor manufacturing and scientific research.

•The Inflation Reduction Act (2022): The largest federal investment in fighting climate change in U.S. history, alongside provisions allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices.

2.Economic Recovery and Job Creation: Under Biden, the U.S. economy experienced the strongest post-COVID-19 GDP recovery of any G7 nation. His administration oversaw the creation of over 16 million new jobs, while unemployment fell to historic lows (3.4% in 2023, a 50-year low).

3.Pandemic Management: Upon taking office, Biden inherited a chaotic vaccine rollout. His administration organized a highly efficient national vaccine distribution campaign, helping to stabilize the economy and return American life to normal.

4.Restoring Global Alliances: Biden shifted American foreign policy away from the "America First" unilateral approach of his predecessor. He successfully revitalized NATO, expanded the alliance to include Finland and Sweden, and coordinated massive international economic and military aid to support Ukraine after Russia's 2022 invasion.

5.Judicial Appointments and Diversity: He appointed the first Black woman, Ketanji Brown Jackson, to the Supreme Court and prioritized appointing highly diverse federal judges with backgrounds in public defense and civil rights law.

The Case Against / Criticisms of His Presidency

Critics, opponents, and many everyday Americans point to several economic hardships and policy failures during his tenure:

1.High Inflation and Cost of Living: The defining political liability of Biden's presidency was inflation, which peaked at 9.1% in June 2022 and averaged 5.4% per year during his term. Critics blame the high inflation on the massive government spending of the American Rescue Plan and other legislative packages. Although inflation eventually cooled, the high cost of groceries, housing, and everyday goods severely damaged consumer confidence and overshadowed wage growth.

2.Border Security and Immigration: The southern border experienced historic surges of migrants, straining resources in cities across the country. Critics on the right argued that Biden’s early reversal of several Trump-era policies invited a humanitarian crisis. Critics on the left and human rights advocates, conversely, criticized the administration when it later implemented strict asylum restrictions to stem the flow.

3.Foreign Policy Setbacks:

•Withdrawal from Afghanistan (2021): The rapid and chaotic U.S. military exit from Afghanistan in August 2021—which resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members and the rapid return of the Taliban to power—severely damaged Biden's domestic and international credibility.

•Global Instability: Critics argued that the Biden administration's foreign policy lacked deterrence, failing to prevent the war in Ukraine and the escalating conflict in the Middle East. Furthermore, Biden's strong support of Israel's military campaign in Gaza deeply fractured his political base, alienating young voters and progressives.

4.Persistent Political Polarization: Biden campaigned on a central promise to "heal the soul" of the nation and unify a divided country. However, American political polarization remained as deep as ever, with Republicans viewing his progressive social policies as divisive and Democrats feeling frustrated by the obstruction of his broader agenda.

5.Age, Stamina, and the 2024 Campaign: Biden’s age (the oldest sitting president in U.S. history) was a constant source of public concern. Persistent questions about his cognitive and physical stamina culminated in a poorly received debate in June 2024, leading to immense pressure from his own party that ultimately forced him to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race.

Conclusion

Whether Joe Biden was a "good" president depends largely on what metrics are prioritized. Those who emphasize structural legislative achievement, strong GDP growth, and institutional stability view his single term as highly successful and transformative. Those who focus on the pain of inflation, border instability, foreign policy crises, and the stubborn realities of political division view his presidency as a period of national decline.

Citations (11)

1millercenter.orgAcademic
millercenter.org
Backs: “Evaluating the presidency of Joe Biden (2021–2025) is a highly debated topic, with assessments varying widely depending on economic, social, and foreign policy perspectives.”
2axios.comNews and mediaquality 0.90
axios.com
Backs: “There is a stark contrast between how presidential historians and political scientists view his legacy and how the general American public evaluates it: Historian Rankings: In professional surveys, such as the 2024 Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey, political scientists and historians ranked Biden…”
3democratsabroad.orgNonprofits and think tanks
democratsabroad.org
Backs: “There is a stark contrast between how presidential historians and political scientists view his legacy and how the general American public evaluates it: Historian Rankings: In professional surveys, such as the 2024 Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey, political scientists and historians ranked Biden…”
4cfr.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cfr.org
Backs: “Scholars often emphasize his massive legislative output, management of the pandemic, and efforts to rebuild traditional alliances. Public Opinion: Public polls show a much more critical view.”
5infobase.comNot yet classified
infobase.com
Backs: “Scholars often emphasize his massive legislative output, management of the pandemic, and efforts to rebuild traditional alliances. Public Opinion: Public polls show a much more critical view.”
6apnorc.orgAcademic
apnorc.org
Backs: “Public Opinion: Public polls show a much more critical view. A Gallup poll conducted near the end of his term in late 2024 showed that 54% of Americans expected Biden to be remembered as a "below average" or "poor" president, with his overall job approval rating consistently hovering in the high 30s to low 40s.”
7gallup.comCompanies
gallup.com
Backs: “A Gallup poll conducted near the end of his term in late 2024 showed that 54% of Americans expected Biden to be remembered as a "below average" or "poor" president, with his overall job approval rating consistently hovering in the high 30s to low 40s.”
8noahpinion.blogBlogs and newsletters
noahpinion.blog
Backs: “The CHIPS and Science Act (2022): Billions of dollars aimed at boosting domestic semiconductor manufacturing and scientific research. The Inflation Reduction Act (2022): The largest federal investment in fighting climate change in U.S.”
9wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
wikipedia.org
Backs: “Economic Recovery and Job Creation: Under Biden, the U.S. economy experienced the strongest post-COVID-19 GDP recovery of any G7 nation. His administration oversaw the creation of over 16 million new jobs, while unemployment fell to historic lows (3.4% in 2023, a 50-year low).”
10port.ac.ukAcademic
port.ac.uk
Backs: “Pandemic Management: Upon taking office, Biden inherited a chaotic vaccine rollout. His administration organized a highly efficient national vaccine distribution campaign, helping to stabilize the economy and return American life to normal.”
11study.comNot yet classified
study.com
Backs: “Judicial Appointments and Diversity: He appointed the first Black woman, Ketanji Brown Jackson, to the Supreme Court and prioritized appointing highly diverse federal judges with backgrounds in public defense and civil rights law.”