What is a treaty?

• A. An official agreement between two or more governments or rulers
• B. A formal declaration of war
• C. A legal order from the President
• D. A binding internal law

Answer: (A)

A treaty is an official agreement between two or more governments or rulers. It is created through negotiations between nations, signed by their leaders, and becomes binding once the appropriate government bodies approve it. Treaties set terms for how countries will interact—covering things like borders, trade, alliances, or joint action on shared problems. They are different from a formal declaration of war, which states that hostilities have begun, from a presidential executive order, which is a directive issued by a single leader, and from binding internal law, which governs people inside one country rather than relations between nations. In the United States, a treaty must be ratified by the Senate to take effect.