Was the Biden Presidency a Success? A Featured Controversy from Issues & Controversies - Infobase (original) (raw)

On January 20, 2025, President Joe Biden stepped down from office after becoming the first president in more than half a century to decline to seek reelection when eligible for another term. Depending on whom you talk to, Biden’s presidency was either one that reinstated America’s role on the world stage and successfully ushered through more substantive legislation with long-lasting impact on American life than any president in decades, or an exercise in mismanagement with record-high inflation, unpopular international policies, and a poor decision to run for a second term despite advancing age. Issues & Controversies’ brand-new article highlights the debate on this topic.

Was the Biden administration a success? Here is a sample of the arguments on both sides of the issue you’ll find in this Issues & Controversies’ article.

A Featured Controversial Topic from Issues & Controversies: The Biden Presidency: Was the Administration of President Joe Biden (D) a Success?

SUPPORTERS ARGUE	OPPONENTS ARGUE
President Biden saved Americans from a pandemic, rescued the economy from the brink of depression, and restored dignity and normalcy to the White House. He steadied U.S. alliances and reinstated U.S. leadership on the world stage while standing up to wanton aggression from hostile forces. His sweeping legislative achievements in climate change, infrastructure, and gun control will benefit millions of Americans for decades to come. The Biden presidency will be deemed a success.	President Biden signaled weakness abroad, allowing two major wars to break out, and failed to defend U.S. national security at home by securing the border against unauthorized immigrants. Biden’s economic policies triggered inflation and hurt working Americans. His administration’s overall lack of transparency, dishonesty about his declining cognitive ability, and refusal to end his campaign for reelection earlier will tarnish his legacy. The Biden administration will not be deemed a success.

SUPPORTERS ARGUE

OPPONENTS ARGUE

President Biden saved Americans from a pandemic, rescued the economy from the brink of depression, and restored dignity and normalcy to the White House. He steadied U.S. alliances and reinstated U.S. leadership on the world stage while standing up to wanton aggression from hostile forces. His sweeping legislative achievements in climate change, infrastructure, and gun control will benefit millions of Americans for decades to come. The Biden presidency will be deemed a success.

President Biden signaled weakness abroad, allowing two major wars to break out, and failed to defend U.S. national security at home by securing the border against unauthorized immigrants. Biden’s economic policies triggered inflation and hurt working Americans. His administration’s overall lack of transparency, dishonesty about his declining cognitive ability, and refusal to end his campaign for reelection earlier will tarnish his legacy. The Biden administration will not be deemed a success.

Issues & Controversies is the place to direct researchers who want to understand both sides of today’s crucial issues across a wide range of topics in politics, government, business, society, education, and popular culture. Students preparing for debates or putting together persuasive writing assignments as well as researchers who want an unbiased look at contemporary hot-button issues and conflicts will benefit from Issues & Controversies’ timely, in-depth, and balanced pro/con articles.

This pro/con article on the Biden presidency links to rich related resources that enhance the debate. Students and researchers can explore:

“By the Numbers” data, covering every number and statistic in the article related to Biden’s presidency and political career
Primary sources that provide context, including the official White House statement about Joe Biden’s pardoning of his son Hunter
Articles covering related court cases, including Biden v. Missouri
Debate videos from the Open to Debate Foundation and NPR podcasts from Fresh Air on related issues
Infographics presenting vast amounts of information in easy-to-access charts, graphs, and tables
Editorials from the Miami Herald, Sacramento Bee, Charlotte Observer, Boston Globe, and many other prominent newspapers and magazines from across the political spectrum
A Reuters® newsfeed covering the latest breaking events and news stories
A chronology of key events related to Biden’s life and presidency
A bibliography and further resources for further exploration of the topic
Discussion questions to inspire critical thinking and analysis
And more.

"The Biden Presidency" pro/con article from Issues & Controversies

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