Was Joe Biden a good president?

Whether Joe Biden was a "good" president is a matter of political opinion rather than an objective fact, and reasonable people disagree based on their values and priorities. I can lay out the main achievements and criticisms that are typically cited, so you can weigh them yourself.## There's no single right answer — it depends on your values and priorities

Whether Biden was a "good" president is fundamentally a matter of political judgment, not an objective fact. That said, here's a balanced picture of what supporters and critics point to, plus how the public and historians have rated him.

What supporters point to as achievements

•Economy/jobs: Biden was the first president under whom jobs were created during every month they were in office, with the economy creating 2.23 million jobs in his final year. This was driven partly by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal and the Chips and Science Act, which saw significant investment in building microprocessor chip plants.

•Climate: His biggest win was the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate investment in American history—nearly half-a-trillion dollars to advance electric cars, green energy, and home efficiency.

•Healthcare: He doubled the number of Americans with access to affordable healthcare, with almost 25 million signing up during the 2025 open enrollment period compared to 12 million in Trump's last year. His administration also delivered on allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices for the first time and capped the cost of insulin for seniors.

•COVID response: He came into office at the start of the second wave of COVID, and his administration's handling of the crisis was in stark contrast to the chaos of the Trump administration.

•Judicial appointments: He made a historic number of federal judicial appointments—roughly 235 judges, with a majority women and a large share from non-white backgrounds.

•Foreign policy: U.S. support was critical to Ukraine's effort to repel the Russian invasion and inspired NATO allies to do the same.

What critics point to as failures

•Afghanistan withdrawal: Widely seen as fraught with issues including the rapid collapse of the Afghan government and problems in planning and executing evacuations—heavily criticized as a major failure in leadership.

•Inflation: CPI rose 21.3% between December 2020 and December 2024, with an annualized rate near 5.3%—a reality critics seized on even as wages rose later in the term.

•Immigration: Border policies significantly contributed to a rise in illegal immigration, which reached unprecedented levels in 2023.

•Gaza/Israel policy: Critics on the left argue the biggest stain on his legacy was his failure to rein in Israel's conduct in Gaza, as his aides routinely downplayed and defended the atrocities while weapons kept flowing.

•2024 reelection decision: Many see his decision to run for re-election given his age and condition as his biggest mistake, which caused a crisis within the Democratic Party.

What the numbers show

•Public approval: Biden averaged 42.2% job approval during his four years as president, the second lowest in Gallup polling history. 82% of Republicans, 56% of independents, and 13% of Democrats view him as a poor or terrible president.

•Historians' ranking: Interestingly, a survey of professional historians told a different story — a poll of historians ranked Biden as the 14th-best president in American history, just ahead of Woodrow Wilson, Ronald Reagan, and Ulysses S. Grant. This shows a sharp divide between immediate public sentiment and longer-term scholarly assessment.

Bottom line

As one analysis put it, Biden concludes his single term as, paradoxically, one of the best and worst presidents to occupy the Oval Office. If you value legislative accomplishment, institutional norms, and crisis stabilization, his record looks strong. If you weight economic pain (inflation), foreign policy missteps (Afghanistan, Gaza), and the political fallout of his final years, the picture looks much worse. I'd encourage you to weigh these facts against your own priorities rather than look for a single verdict.

Citations (18)

1port.ac.ukAcademic
Joe Biden’s legacy: four successes and four failures | University of Portsmouth
Source excerpt: “Biden will be the first president under whom jobs were created during every month they were in office. The economy created 2.23 million jobs in the fi...”
2port.ac.ukAcademic
Joe Biden’s legacy: four successes and four failures | University of Portsmouth
Source excerpt: “This has been driven by significant moves such as the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, which instigated significant federal investment in national...”
3rollingstone.comNews and mediaquality 0.56
Joe Biden’s Presidency: Reviewing the Good and the Bad
Source excerpt: “Historic climate spending: Biden’s biggest win was the Inflation Reduction Act, which in fact was the largest climate investment in American history —...”
4port.ac.ukAcademic
Joe Biden’s legacy: four successes and four failures | University of Portsmouth
Source excerpt: “Biden has managed to double the number of Americans who have access to affordable healthcare. The administration recently announced that almost 25 mil...”
5rollingstone.comNews and mediaquality 0.56
Joe Biden’s Presidency: Reviewing the Good and the Bad
Source excerpt: “Negotiating drug prices: Under Biden, Democrats finally delivered, in part, on their promise to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices.”
6rollingstone.comNews and mediaquality 0.56
Joe Biden’s Presidency: Reviewing the Good and the Bad
Source excerpt: “Biden signed legislation creating a drug negotiation pilot program targeting a suite of expensive drugs. The law also capped the cost of insulin for s...”
7port.ac.ukAcademic
Joe Biden’s legacy: four successes and four failures | University of Portsmouth
Source excerpt: “Biden came into office at the start of the second wave of COVID. His administration’s handling of the crisis and the advice given to the public was in...”
8factually.coLow provenance
What Did Joe Biden Accomplish As President?
Source excerpt: “Judicial appointments and institutional priorities · Biden made a historic number of federal judicial appointments—appointing roughly 235 judges over ...”
9port.ac.ukAcademic
Joe Biden’s legacy: four successes and four failures | University of Portsmouth
Source excerpt: “US support has been critical to Ukraine’s effort to repel the Russian invasion, and has inspired Nato allies to do the same. ”
10moderndiplomacy.euNews and media
Biden's Legacy: Achievements and Failures of a President - Modern Diplomacy
Source excerpt: “This withdrawal was fraught with multiple issues, including the rapid collapse of the Afghan government, the return of the Taliban to power, and probl...”
11factually.coLow provenance
What Did Joe Biden Accomplish As President?
Source excerpt: “At the same time inflation averaged well above the Federal Reserve target during much of his term—CPI rose 21.3% between December 2020 and December 20...”
12moderndiplomacy.euNews and media
Biden's Legacy: Achievements and Failures of a President - Modern Diplomacy
Source excerpt: “... Biden’s border policies significantly contributed to the rise in illegal immigration. In 2023, illegal immigration reached unprecedented levels, p...”
13rollingstone.comNews and mediaquality 0.56
Joe Biden’s Presidency: Reviewing the Good and the Bad
Source excerpt: “Gaza: The biggest stain on Joe Biden’s legacy as president will forever be his abdication of moral leadership as Israel indiscriminately bombed the Ga...”
14moderndiplomacy.euNews and media
Biden's Legacy: Achievements and Failures of a President - Modern Diplomacy
Source excerpt: “... Biden’s decision to run for re-election in 2024, given his physical and mental condition, was arguably his biggest mistake. This decision caused a...”
15gallup.comCompanies
Biden Job Approval Second Lowest Among Post-WWII Presidents
Source excerpt: “WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Joe Biden averaged 42.2% job approval during his four years as president, the second lowest in Gallup polling history. ”
16apnorc.orgAcademic
Biden’s legacy as president - AP-NORC
Source excerpt: “A vast majority of Republicans view Biden as a poor or terrible president (82%) along with 56% of independents and 13% of Democrats. ”
17seattletimes.comNot yet classified
Poll ranks Biden as 14th-best president, with Trump last | The Seattle Times
Source excerpt: “A new poll of historians coming out on Presidents Day weekend ranks Joe Biden as the 14th-best president in American history, just ahead of Woodrow Wi...”
18rollingstone.comNews and mediaquality 0.56
Joe Biden’s Presidency: Reviewing the Good and the Bad
Source excerpt: “Joe Biden concludes his single term as, paradoxically, one of the best and worst presidents to occupy the Oval Office. ”