Was Joe Biden a good president?

Both sidesSays it is contested

I'll gather a balanced overview of Joe Biden's presidency — covering achievements, criticisms, and public evaluations.

Whether Joe Biden was a "good" president is subjective and depends on what criteria are used - historians, polls, and economic data give different answers. Here is a balanced summary of his record from 2021-2025:

Legislative and Policy Achievements

Supporters point to a large legislative record despite narrow congressional majorities:

•The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan addressed COVID-19 economic damage

•The $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was described as the largest infrastructure investment in decades and described by the administration as a once-in-a-generation $1.2 trillion investment in bridges, roads, airports, public transit and broadband

•The CHIPS Act committed $52 billion to domestic semiconductor manufacturing

•The Inflation Reduction Act ($369 billion in climate and clean energy investment) became the largest climate legislation in US history, also described as investing in clean energy, capping insulin prices and enabling Medicare drug-price negotiations

Other cited achievements include appointing Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, reentering the Paris Agreement, and directing investments to manufacturing and clean energy.

Economic Record

Economic performance was mixed:

•Economic growth rose 15.5% (or 3.7% annualized) — the fourth best growth of any president dating back to WWII. Notably, President Biden was the only president to not experience a recession at any time during his presidency for the first time since Lyndon B. Johnson

•The US economy added ~17 million jobs without experiencing a single month of job losses, and the unemployment rate averaged 4.2%, the lowest for any president since Lyndon B. Johnson

•The S&P 500 rose ~55% on a price return basis (11.5% annualized), marking the fourth best performance of any president since WWII

Foreign Policy

•Abroad, Biden restored the United States as the anchor of the free world while leading the effort to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression

•NATO today is strong and unified. Two-thirds of its members are now meeting the benchmark of spending at least 2 percent of GDP on defense, up from only one-third in 2020. Finland and Sweden have joined the alliance

•His foreign policy also included reentering the Paris Agreement, responding to the Russian invasion of Ukraine with sanctions and aid, and supporting a temporary ceasefire proposal in Gaza while giving Israel military and diplomatic support

Criticisms and Challenges

Critics cite:

•Inflation: Inflation was the Achilles heel of the Biden administration, peaking at 9.1% in June 2022 — the largest surge since the 1980s. Consumer prices have risen over 20% during Biden's term. He saw the lowest cumulative real disposable income growth (-3% and the only negative one) of any president over the last 50 years.

•Debt and interest rates: Since Biden took office, his administration has added over $8 trillion (a ~30% increase) to the nation's debt and run the third-largest budget deficit (6.4% of GDP). The 10-year Treasury yield rose from just over 1% to ~4.6%, and the bond market had its worst rout in history.

•Afghanistan withdrawal: The withdrawal was widely criticized as chaotic. Even Hunter Biden said "I cannot f—ing stand the way the Afghan withdrawal happened" while maintaining leaving was correct in principle.

•Immigration: Patrols encountered some 2.2 million migrants crossing the southern border illegally in 2022, an all-time high.

•Age and health: Concerns about Biden's age and health persisted throughout his presidency. After his performance in the first presidential debate, scrutiny intensified and led him to withdraw his candidacy for reelection in 2024.

Public Opinion and Historian Evaluation

•Approval ratings: Across Gallup and other trackers, Biden's approval trended from above 50% in the first year to a consistent mid-to-high 30s finish. His final Gallup approval was 40%, described as the second lowest among post-WWII presidents. During his 13th quarter he averaged 38.7% job approval — none of the other nine presidents elected to their first term since Eisenhower had a lower 13th-quarter average. Rising inflation, illegal immigration, and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza contributed to the decline.

•Scholar rankings: Historians rank Joe Biden as the 14th greatest president in US history, according to the 2024 Presidential Greatness Project Expert Survey which polled 154 experts. Scholars note that Biden's presidency is still somewhat "in progress" in terms of historical judgment.

In summary, supporters highlight major infrastructure, manufacturing and climate laws, job growth, and alliance strengthening, while critics highlight high inflation, debt, the Afghanistan exit, border pressures, and low approval ratings. Historical rankings have been more favorable than contemporaneous public polling.

Citations (3)

1wikipedia.orgEncyclopedias and referencequality 0.83
Joe Biden - Wikipedia
Backs: “The Inflation Reduction Act ($369 billion in climate and clean energy investment) became the largest climate legislation in US history, also described as investing in clean energy, capping insulin prices and enabling Medicare drug-price negotiations”
evidence, reference entry, points to yes. Claim: Inflation Reduction Act described as investing in clean energy, capping insulin prices and enabling Medicare drug-price negotiations.
2raymondjames.comNot yet classified
Reviewing market and economic performance during the Biden administration
Backs: “Economic performance was mixed: Economic growth rose 15.5% (or 3.7% annualized) — the fourth best growth of any president dating back to WWII. Notably, President Biden was the only president to not experience a recession at any time during his presidency for the first time since Lyndon B.”
statistic, article, points to yes. Claim: Economic growth rose 15.5% (3.7% annualized), fourth best since WWII, and no recession occurred during Biden's presidency.
3cfr.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Biden’s Legacy: Major Accomplishments but Unfinished Business
Backs: “The S&P 500 rose ~55% on a price return basis (11.5% annualized), marking the fourth best performance of any president since WWII. Foreign Policy. Abroad, Biden restored the United States as the anchor of the free world while leading the effort to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression”
evidence, article, points to yes. Claim: S&P 500 performance and Biden restoring US as anchor of free world, supporting Ukraine, with NATO strengthened.