(VOVWORLD) - US President Joe Biden will leave the White House on January 20, handing over the office to President-elect Donald Trump. Experts say Biden has helped the US economy flourish but find his foreign policy achievements debatable.
 US President Joe Biden (photo: VOV/The White House) |
Joe Biden, who took office on January 20, 2021, served as the 46th President of the US.
Positive economic picture
In a speech on January 10 at the White House, President Biden cited data affirming his legacy of a much stronger economy than he inherited four years ago. During his tenure, the US generated 16.6 million jobs, and brought its unemployment rate down to 4.1%.
The Biden administration passed many laws considered to be turning points for the US economy, including the American Rescue Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the Chips and Science Act. The government committed to spending trillions of dollars to boost domestic production, attract large foreign corporations, invest in new infrastructure, and protect technology sectors of strategic importance.
Most major international economic and financial institutions have a positive assessment of the US economy. International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on January 10 that the US economy is much better than expected, with last year’s economic growth estimated at 2.8% and 2.2% this year, higher than most other major economies. In a report released last November, Goldman Sachs Research predicted that the US’s economy would exceed economists' expectations this year.
However, Jeremi Suri, Professor of History and Public Administration at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Administration at the University of Texas at Austin, said President Biden has not leveraged his economic achievements to strengthen his political position or that of the Democratic Party.
"He was unable to make the case for the work that he did. He didn't tell the story of the economy. He didn't tell the story of the Western alliance. Just imagine with the very same circumstances a Ronald Reagan or Bill Clinton in office at the height of their powers, they would have told that story," said Suri.
Nadia Brown, Professor of Government at Georgetown University, said Biden's economic achievements were overshadowed by other events during the recent presidential election.
"I think it's too difficult to tout the major reforms that he was able to push through such as the American Rescue Plan or the Inflation Reduction Act. I think a lot of what he'll be remembered for now is his pulling out of the 2024 election rather late in the game, that many people believe did not set up his predecessor to win," said Brown.
Ambiguous foreign policy achievements
Foreign affairs have been a defining feature of the Biden administration. In contrast to Trump’s isolationist approach during his 2016-2020 term, Biden has supported America's active involvement in major global issues, from geopolitical conflicts to climate change, and has viewed strong relations with allies a cornerstone of his foreign policy. Speaking at the US State Department on January 13, Biden said his approach has helped the US regain its leadership role in global matters and fostered important new partnerships.
"Before I took office, nine NATO allies are spending 2% of the GDP on defense. Now, 23 are spending 2%. In the Indo-Pacific, we've made partnership stronger and created new partnerships. We did it, but few thought it was possible, to build the first ever partnership between the United States, Japan, and South Korea," said Biden.
Professor Brown said assessing Biden’s foreign policy achievements is not a simple matter. Despite progress in strengthening the US’s role in the Indo-Pacific region, the conflicts in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip have undercut the assessment of Biden’s foreign policy. Brown said Biden’s efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in the closing days of his term underline a prolonged deadlock and the conflict’s catastrophic consequences for the Palestinian people. Biden’s steady support for Ukraine and failure to dialogue with Russia has left a difficult problem for his successor.
President Biden said he has left his successor a stronger America with “more cards to play”, but many observers say what Biden hands off will be quickly forgotten when Donald Trump adopts a completely different approach to America’s foreign policy.