Politics

Bye, Joe: Evaluating the Biden Presidency

From the war in Afghanistan to the war on drugs, Reason writers offer performance reviews of Joe Biden's single term as president.

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A blue photo of Joe Biden | Photo: Gage Skidmore
(Photo: Gage Skidmore)

It's official: America's 46th president is headed out the door. After a single term marked by ambitious plans but modest follow-through, Joe Biden is wrapping up his time in office and somewhat reluctantly shuffling off into the sunset. Despite lofty promises on everything from drug policy reform to tackling climate change, Biden's presidency has been a master class in how good intentions don't always yield good results. His domestic initiatives produced regulatory quagmires, and—despite getting out of Afghanistan—his international diplomacy grew increasingly entangled in the sorts of conflicts he once pledged to avoid. On student debt, his mouth wrote checks Congress and the courts wouldn't cash. On civil liberties, trade, the war on drugs, and Bidenomics, the American public saw mixed results and, at times, flat-out disappointment.

"I made a lot of mistakes in my career," Biden said in his closing remarks at the Democratic National Convention, "but I gave my best to you." Was his best good enough? It wasn't good enough to pave the way for Democrats to retain the White House. With Donald Trump returning to claim the Oval Office, much of Biden's work will be soon be undone or forgotten. The man who promised in his 2020 victory speech to usher in "a time to heal" instead leaves a fractured and polarized landscape. Here's a look at Biden's single-term saga and what it means.

In the January 2025 issue of Reason, we're giving performance reviews of Joe Biden's presidency:

This article originally appeared in print under the headline "Bye, Joe."