The Legacy of the Biden Administration : An Inconsequential Presidency? (The Evolving American Presidency)

This edited volume examines the presidency of Joe Biden, exploring the profound gap between significant policy achievement and public recognition in modern American politics. It asks a pressing question: how can a president pass landmark legislation and still lose the battle for his own legacy? Opening with the political fallout from the 2024 election, the book traces Biden's major legislative wins — including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, and student loan relief — before turning to why these achievements failed to resonate with voters. Contributors from across political and academic backgrounds then analyze how Donald Trump's administration moved to dismantle and reframe Biden's record. The volume ultimately confronts a defining challenge of democratic governance: when transformative policies deliver benefits over decades, but political narratives are shaped in moments, how do voters, and history, assign credit?