THE MACHINE
TREATIES AND EXECUTIVE AGREEMENTS
TREATIES
Definition
In international law an agreement that is binding on two or
more
nations is called a treaty. According to modern diplomatic usage,
the term treaty is confined to particularly significant
international
agreements. Lesser agreements are called conventions,
arrangements, protocols, acts, or simply agreements.
Classifications
Treaties may be classified according to their purpose.
Political treaties include alliances, peace settlements,
disarmament agreements, and territorial settlements.
Commercial treaties deal with tariffs, fishing rights, navigation,
and the opening of consulates and offices of tourism
EXECUTIVE AGREEMENTS
Definition
An agreement between the United States and a
foreign government that is less formal than a treaty and is not
subject to the constitutional requirement for ratification by two-thirds
of the Senate. The Constitution does not specifically give a
president power to conclude executive agreements; he may be
authorized to do so by Congress, or he may do so on his sole
authority, derived from his power to conduct foreign relations.
The majority of executive agreements have been made pursuant to a
treaty or act of Congress. At times, however, presidents have
used this device to achieve purposes that would not command the
support of two-thirds of the Senate, as when Pres. Franklin D.
Roosevelt, after the outbreak of World War II but before U.S.
entry into the conflict, gave Great Britain 50 overage destroyers
in exchange for the right to use certain bases. Since executive
agreements are made on the authority of the incumbent president,
they do not necessarily bind his successors.