President Joe Biden came into office one year ago with a pledge to return a sense of normality to America and counter the “exhausting outrage” that had riven the nation in recent years, particularly under his predecessor, Donald Trump.
“Without unity, there is no peace, only bitterness and fury,” Mr Biden said in his inauguration speech. “This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge, and unity is the path forward.”
Twelve months after his lofty proclamation, Mr Biden has only partially fulfilled his promise to set the US on a new course.
The country is as divided as ever and Mr Biden faces multiple crises, a stalled domestic agenda and looming midterm elections that look certain to wipe out his slim congressional majority.
His term started out well enough, with many Americans breathing a collective sigh of relief at Mr Trump's departure.
The new president mandated mask-wearing in federal buildings including airports and promised to steer America through the pandemic, saying: “We will get through this together.”
He moved to restore relations with America’s most important allies after four fraught years under Mr Trump. His approach to governing has been framed as calm and measured, a marked contrast to the policy-by-tweet antics of his predecessor.
And on March 11, Mr Biden signed a historic, $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill called the American Rescue Plan, aimed at hastening the US recovery from the pandemic.
“My first take of the Biden administration is, it's not the Trump administration,” said Brian Smith, a professor of political science at St Edward’s University in Austin, Texas.
“For a lot of people, that's enough to give him a passing grade.”
He projected competence and empathy as he moved quickly to vaccinate millions of Americans.
But amid misinformation, Republican pushback against vaccine mandates and flubbed messaging from US health officials, the number of fully vaccinated Americans is stalled at about 62 per cent — much lower than Mr Biden's desired 70 per cent and lower than most other G20 countries.
His carefully cultivated image of compassion and confidence was shattered as he oversaw America's withdrawal from Afghanistan after 20 years, and the realities of modern America have quickly caught up with Mr Biden.
