United States Government: Democracy in Action

Introduction
Executive agreements are pacts between the president and the head of a foreign government. They have the same legal status as treaties, but they do not require Senate approval. The president utilizes executive agreements as part of the role as chief diplomat. In this activity, you will learn more about this controversial power of the president.

Destination Title: Encyclopedia of American Foreign Policy

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Use the information you found to answer the following questions.

1			Why have the number of treaties declined since World War II?
2			What three forms may an international agreement take?
3			Name three controversial and historic executive agreements.
4			What was the first effort to limit executive agreements, and what was President Eisenhower's reason for opposing the limit?
5			Write a persuasive essay arguing for or against a president's authority to use executive agreements instead of relying on the Senate's constitutional responsibility to approve treaties.