Was Joe Biden a good president?

Assessments of Joe Biden’s presidency, which spanned from 2021 to 2025, vary widely depending on political perspective, economic priorities, and foreign policy viewpoints. While historians and supporters point to a highly productive legislative record and a strong post-pandemic jobs market, critics highlight persistent inflation, border management challenges, and high-profile foreign policy setbacks.

The Case for Joe Biden’s Presidency (Key Achievements)

Supporters and favorable political analysts argue that Biden’s presidency was highly consequential, particularly in terms of domestic policy and repairing global alliances. Key arguments in his favor include:

•Major Legislative Accomplishments: Despite working with a razor-thin and deeply divided Congress, Biden signed several historic and transformative bills into law. These included:

•The American Rescue Plan (2021): A $1.9 trillion stimulus package to help the country recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

•The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (2021): A bipartisan $1.2 trillion package to rebuild roads, bridges, public transit, and clean water systems.

•The CHIPS and Science Act (2022): A bipartisan law boosting domestic manufacturing, particularly in semiconductors and high-tech industries.

•The Inflation Reduction Act (2022): The largest climate investment in U.S. history, which also aimed to lower healthcare and prescription drug costs.

•Strong Economic Indicators: Supporters emphasize the positive aspects of "Bidenomics," noting that the U.S. experienced historically low unemployment rates (often remaining under 4%), rapid GDP growth, and a post-pandemic economic recovery that outpaced almost every other major global economy.

•Rebuilding Alliances and Supporting Ukraine: Biden returned the U.S. to traditional foreign policy frameworks, reaffirming commitment to NATO and repairing international relationships frayed during the Trump administration. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Biden successfully rallied a Western coalition to provide massive military and financial aid to defend Ukraine.

•COVID-19 Management: Biden's administration established a more centralized, structured federal response to the pandemic, overseeing a massive vaccine rollout that allowed the U.S. to fully reopen and transition back to normalcy.

The Case Against Joe Biden’s Presidency (Key Criticisms)

Critics, as well as many independent voters and members of the public, contend that Biden’s tenure was marked by policy failures and a decline in national stability. Key criticisms include:

•Persistent Inflation and Cost of Living: Although the job market was strong, the Biden administration was heavily penalized by voters for high inflation, which peaked at over 9% in 2022 (a 40-year high). The subsequent rise in interest rates, alongside soaring prices for groceries, energy, and housing, left many Americans feeling financially worse off during his term.

•The Afghanistan Withdrawal: The chaotic and deadly U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members and the rapid return of the Taliban. This event is widely seen as a major turning point that permanently damaged public trust in Biden's competence and foreign policy execution, from which his approval ratings never recovered.

•Border and Immigration Policy: The Biden administration faced heavy backlash for its management of the U.S. southern border. Record numbers of migrant crossings strained local resources across the country, leading to criticism from Republicans for weak enforcement and from some progressives for inconsistent asylum policies.

•Foreign Policy Instability: Critics argue that the outbreak of major wars in Europe (Ukraine) and the Middle East (Israel-Hamas conflict) during his term reflected a decline in U.S. deterrence. Many on the left also criticized Biden for his unwavering military support of Israel during the war in Gaza, while others criticized him for not being firm enough.

•Age and National Unity: Despite campaigning on a promise to lower the political temperature and unite the nation, partisan polarization remained severe. Concerns over his advanced age and cognitive fitness dogged him throughout his term, ultimately forcing him to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race under heavy pressure from his own party.

Public Opinion and Legacy

Public perception of Biden was highly polarized. By the end of his presidency in January 2025, his approval ratings hovered near historical lows—ranging between 35% and 40%. Polls at the end of his term indicated that only about a quarter of Americans viewed his presidency as "good" or "great," with many viewing it as mediocre or poor.

However, historians often evaluate presidencies differently over the long term than contemporary voters. While his immediate legacy was heavily weighed down by public dissatisfaction over inflation and global instability, his supporters believe that history will ultimately look back on him as a highly consequential, reform-minded president whose major legislative investments laid the groundwork for decades of American growth.

Citations (10)

1cfr.orgNonprofits and think tanks
cfr.org
Backs: “Assessments of Joe Biden’s presidency, which spanned from 2021 to 2025, vary widely depending on political perspective, economic priorities, and foreign policy viewpoints. While historians and supporters point to a highly productive legislative record and a strong post-pandemic jobs market, critics highlight…”
2washingtonpost.comNews and mediaquality 0.82
washingtonpost.com
Backs: “Assessments of Joe Biden’s presidency, which spanned from 2021 to 2025, vary widely depending on political perspective, economic priorities, and foreign policy viewpoints. While historians and supporters point to a highly productive legislative record and a strong post-pandemic jobs market, critics highlight…”
3quantusinsights.orgNot yet classified
quantusinsights.org
Backs: “While historians and supporters point to a highly productive legislative record and a strong post-pandemic jobs market, critics highlight persistent inflation, border management challenges, and high-profile foreign policy setbacks.”
4millercenter.orgAcademic
millercenter.org
Backs: “The American Rescue Plan (2021): A $1.9 trillion stimulus package to help the country recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (2021): A bipartisan $1.2 trillion package to rebuild roads, bridges, public transit, and clean water systems.”
5unimelb.edu.auAcademic
unimelb.edu.au
Backs: “The American Rescue Plan (2021): A $1.9 trillion stimulus package to help the country recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (2021): A bipartisan $1.2 trillion package to rebuild roads, bridges, public transit, and clean water systems.”
6port.ac.ukAcademic
port.ac.uk
Backs: “Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Biden successfully rallied a Western coalition to provide massive military and financial aid to defend Ukraine. COVID-19 Management: Biden's administration established a more centralized, structured federal response to the pandemic, overseeing a massive vaccine rollout…”
7ssrs.comNot yet classified
ssrs.com
Backs: “Critics, as well as many independent voters and members of the public, contend that Biden’s tenure was marked by policy failures and a decline in national stability. Key criticisms include:”
8apnorc.orgAcademic
apnorc.org
Backs: “The subsequent rise in interest rates, alongside soaring prices for groceries, energy, and housing, left many Americans feeling financially worse off during his term. The Afghanistan Withdrawal: The chaotic and deadly U.S.”
9northeastern.eduAcademic
northeastern.edu
Backs: “The Afghanistan Withdrawal: The chaotic and deadly U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members and the rapid return of the Taliban. This event is widely seen as a major turning point that permanently damaged public trust in Biden's competence and foreign…”
10pbs.orgNews and mediaquality 0.87
pbs.org
Backs: “Polls at the end of his term indicated that only about a quarter of Americans viewed his presidency as "good" or "great," with many viewing it as mediocre or poor. However, historians often evaluate presidencies differently over the long term than contemporary voters.”