11 Historians Forecast Joe Biden's Legacy
A group of leading historians share their insights on how Biden's presidency will be assessed in the future.
TroibNews 
After dreaming of the White House for decades, Joe Biden's experience as president must feel extraordinarily bittersweet.
He finally achieved his long-held ambition by winning the presidency in 2020, overcoming persistent skepticism. Along the way, he achieved significant legislative victories such as the Inflation Reduction Act and made history by appointing the first Black woman to the vice presidency and to the Supreme Court. However, his tenure has also been marked by challenges, including a poorly executed withdrawal from Afghanistan, increasing worries about border security, and persistently high inflation.
Currently, his legacy is overshadowed by his removal from the 2024 campaign amid concerns about his mental acuity and the subsequent election of Donald Trump, who once represented a direct challenge to Biden's vision for American democracy.
Historians may reassess his legacy over time, especially as they consider both his accomplishments and failures in a broader context, including the implications of Trump’s potential second term. Will Biden ultimately be remembered as an ineffective one-term president, or will his legacy improve with time?
To explore this question, a group of historians shared their insights on how Biden's presidency might be portrayed in future history books.
**‘A Tragic Element to Biden’s Presidency’**
*By Sean Wilentz*
Sean Wilentz teaches at Princeton and is the author of several books, including *The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln*.
"Few worthy one-term presidents get the praise that they deserve, unlike lousy one-term presidents like James Buchanan, who do get the obloquy that they deserve... With any luck, Biden, like Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush before him, will eventually receive his due... there will be a tragic element to Biden’s presidency. 'To be Irish,' Daniel Patrick Moynihan once observed, 'is to know that in the end the world will break your heart.' Irish Joe Biden, who understood that fate all too well, at least tried as president to sustain the core liberal values to which he devoted his life’s work."
**‘From the Role of Dragon Slayer to the Person Who Had Enabled the Dragon to Return’**
*By Tevi Troy*
Tevi Troy is a former White House aide and a presidential historian.
"Joe Biden entered the presidency after nearly half a century of wanting to be president... by the time Biden got the role he had so long sought, he became manifestly too old for the role... In this way, Biden went from the role of dragon slayer to the person who had enabled the dragon to return."
**‘The Most Radically Left-Wing and Polarizing Presidential Tenure in a Century’**
*By Victor Davis Hanson*
Victor Davis Hanson is a classical and military historian at the Hoover Institution.
"Joe Biden was nominated and elected as the most centrist of the 2020 Democratic field... Instead, what followed was the most radically left-wing and polarizing presidential tenure in a century. As Biden left office with 57 percent public disapproval... Biden’s four years were more unpopular and less successful than even those of a similar one-term Carter presidency."
**‘Bringing Black Women into the Halls of Power’**
*By Keisha N. Blain*
Keisha N. Blain is a professor of Africana Studies and history at Brown University.
"President Joe Biden’s term in office resulted in tangible gains for many Americans through his pro-labor policies... One of his most significant accomplishments was advancing Black women’s leadership opportunities... he heeded the advice of Black women organizers when he selected Kamala Harris as his running mate... Biden ensured that highly accomplished Black women with a range of experience could serve in diverse leadership positions."
**‘An Apt Symbol for an Entire Political Tradition in Desperate Need of Reinvention’**
*By Geoffrey Kabaservice*
Geoffrey Kabaservice is the director of political studies at the Niskanen Center.
"Historians relegated Joe Biden’s presidency to the margins... But for some historians, Biden’s senescence was an irresistible metaphor for a Democratic Party that continued to think of itself as the rightful governing party long after it had forgotten how to govern... The public’s turn toward Trump’s authoritarian populism may have felt like an excessive and indeed disastrous response to Democratic failures..."
**‘The Absence of Disaster Is Not a Major Achievement’**
*By Elizabeth Cobbs*
Elizabeth Cobbs is a professor at San Diego State University.
"Presidential historians rank Joseph Biden 'average' for steering the nation around... the stock market recovery that began with Barack Obama... historians debate whether Biden contributed much that was innovative... The absence of disaster is not a major achievement, though, and Biden failed to restore the bipartisan unity he sought..."
**‘Biden Did Not Serve as President in Traditional Times’**
*By Sarah Igo*
Sarah Igo is a professor of American History at Vanderbilt University.
"The evaluation of a U.S. presidency traditionally hinges on promises and reversals... But Biden did not serve as president in traditional times... the measure and meaning of his presidency lie elsewhere: in Biden’s inability to staunch, or even slow, the rise of a chaotic, norm-shattering and authoritarian-leaning politics..."
**‘The Most Successful One-Term President in American History’**
*By Kenneth W. Mack*
Kenneth W. Mack is a professor at Harvard University.
"Joe Biden faced a set of nearly unique challenges as president... when he first ran for office in 1988... he pushed forward with a historic set of legislative achievements... there is a case to be made for Biden as the most successful one-term president in American history."
**‘A Failed Presidency’**
*By Donald T. Critchlow*
Donald T. Critchlow is a Professor of History at Arizona State University.
"Joe Biden stepped into the White House promising to unify the country... Biden's failure was a direct reflection of his open-door immigration policy... The disconnect between Biden’s campaign promises and the actual results of his administration suggests a continued judgment of a failed presidency."
**‘In Some Ways It Was the Best of Times’**
*By Noliwe Rooks*
Noliwe Rooks is a professor at Brown University.
"In assessing the four years of the Biden presidency relative to education, in some ways it was the best of times... yet, also during his administration, according to the National Illiteracy Institute, almost 67 percent of fourth graders... read below rates considered proficient."
**‘Joe Biden’s Leadership Was Transformative’**
*By Judy Tzu-Chun Wu*
Judy Tzu-Chun Wu is a professor at the University of California, Irvine.
"Joe Biden’s leadership was transformative... he pledged to appoint the most diverse Cabinet... Biden made history by running with Kamala Harris... Biden helped the U.S. understand that a fully realized democracy offers the possibility that people of diverse identities, experiences and values are not just tolerated or targeted, but also respected and honored."
Aarav Patel contributed to this report for TROIB News
He finally achieved his long-held ambition by winning the presidency in 2020, overcoming persistent skepticism. Along the way, he achieved significant legislative victories such as the Inflation Reduction Act and made history by appointing the first Black woman to the vice presidency and to the Supreme Court. However, his tenure has also been marked by challenges, including a poorly executed withdrawal from Afghanistan, increasing worries about border security, and persistently high inflation.
Currently, his legacy is overshadowed by his removal from the 2024 campaign amid concerns about his mental acuity and the subsequent election of Donald Trump, who once represented a direct challenge to Biden's vision for American democracy.
Historians may reassess his legacy over time, especially as they consider both his accomplishments and failures in a broader context, including the implications of Trump’s potential second term. Will Biden ultimately be remembered as an ineffective one-term president, or will his legacy improve with time?
To explore this question, a group of historians shared their insights on how Biden's presidency might be portrayed in future history books.
**‘A Tragic Element to Biden’s Presidency’**
*By Sean Wilentz*
Sean Wilentz teaches at Princeton and is the author of several books, including *The Rise of American Democracy: Jefferson to Lincoln*.
"Few worthy one-term presidents get the praise that they deserve, unlike lousy one-term presidents like James Buchanan, who do get the obloquy that they deserve... With any luck, Biden, like Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush before him, will eventually receive his due... there will be a tragic element to Biden’s presidency. 'To be Irish,' Daniel Patrick Moynihan once observed, 'is to know that in the end the world will break your heart.' Irish Joe Biden, who understood that fate all too well, at least tried as president to sustain the core liberal values to which he devoted his life’s work."
**‘From the Role of Dragon Slayer to the Person Who Had Enabled the Dragon to Return’**
*By Tevi Troy*
Tevi Troy is a former White House aide and a presidential historian.
"Joe Biden entered the presidency after nearly half a century of wanting to be president... by the time Biden got the role he had so long sought, he became manifestly too old for the role... In this way, Biden went from the role of dragon slayer to the person who had enabled the dragon to return."
**‘The Most Radically Left-Wing and Polarizing Presidential Tenure in a Century’**
*By Victor Davis Hanson*
Victor Davis Hanson is a classical and military historian at the Hoover Institution.
"Joe Biden was nominated and elected as the most centrist of the 2020 Democratic field... Instead, what followed was the most radically left-wing and polarizing presidential tenure in a century. As Biden left office with 57 percent public disapproval... Biden’s four years were more unpopular and less successful than even those of a similar one-term Carter presidency."
**‘Bringing Black Women into the Halls of Power’**
*By Keisha N. Blain*
Keisha N. Blain is a professor of Africana Studies and history at Brown University.
"President Joe Biden’s term in office resulted in tangible gains for many Americans through his pro-labor policies... One of his most significant accomplishments was advancing Black women’s leadership opportunities... he heeded the advice of Black women organizers when he selected Kamala Harris as his running mate... Biden ensured that highly accomplished Black women with a range of experience could serve in diverse leadership positions."
**‘An Apt Symbol for an Entire Political Tradition in Desperate Need of Reinvention’**
*By Geoffrey Kabaservice*
Geoffrey Kabaservice is the director of political studies at the Niskanen Center.
"Historians relegated Joe Biden’s presidency to the margins... But for some historians, Biden’s senescence was an irresistible metaphor for a Democratic Party that continued to think of itself as the rightful governing party long after it had forgotten how to govern... The public’s turn toward Trump’s authoritarian populism may have felt like an excessive and indeed disastrous response to Democratic failures..."
**‘The Absence of Disaster Is Not a Major Achievement’**
*By Elizabeth Cobbs*
Elizabeth Cobbs is a professor at San Diego State University.
"Presidential historians rank Joseph Biden 'average' for steering the nation around... the stock market recovery that began with Barack Obama... historians debate whether Biden contributed much that was innovative... The absence of disaster is not a major achievement, though, and Biden failed to restore the bipartisan unity he sought..."
**‘Biden Did Not Serve as President in Traditional Times’**
*By Sarah Igo*
Sarah Igo is a professor of American History at Vanderbilt University.
"The evaluation of a U.S. presidency traditionally hinges on promises and reversals... But Biden did not serve as president in traditional times... the measure and meaning of his presidency lie elsewhere: in Biden’s inability to staunch, or even slow, the rise of a chaotic, norm-shattering and authoritarian-leaning politics..."
**‘The Most Successful One-Term President in American History’**
*By Kenneth W. Mack*
Kenneth W. Mack is a professor at Harvard University.
"Joe Biden faced a set of nearly unique challenges as president... when he first ran for office in 1988... he pushed forward with a historic set of legislative achievements... there is a case to be made for Biden as the most successful one-term president in American history."
**‘A Failed Presidency’**
*By Donald T. Critchlow*
Donald T. Critchlow is a Professor of History at Arizona State University.
"Joe Biden stepped into the White House promising to unify the country... Biden's failure was a direct reflection of his open-door immigration policy... The disconnect between Biden’s campaign promises and the actual results of his administration suggests a continued judgment of a failed presidency."
**‘In Some Ways It Was the Best of Times’**
*By Noliwe Rooks*
Noliwe Rooks is a professor at Brown University.
"In assessing the four years of the Biden presidency relative to education, in some ways it was the best of times... yet, also during his administration, according to the National Illiteracy Institute, almost 67 percent of fourth graders... read below rates considered proficient."
**‘Joe Biden’s Leadership Was Transformative’**
*By Judy Tzu-Chun Wu*
Judy Tzu-Chun Wu is a professor at the University of California, Irvine.
"Joe Biden’s leadership was transformative... he pledged to appoint the most diverse Cabinet... Biden made history by running with Kamala Harris... Biden helped the U.S. understand that a fully realized democracy offers the possibility that people of diverse identities, experiences and values are not just tolerated or targeted, but also respected and honored."
Aarav Patel contributed to this report for TROIB News
