Final answer:
To officially ratify a treaty in the United States, a two-thirds vote in the Senate is required. This ensures that the treaty has considerable support before becoming legally binding. Many international agreements, however, are now often completed as executive agreements, bypassing the need for Senate ratification.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the United States, the ratification of treaties involves a specific legislative process outlined in the Constitution. According to Article II, Section 2, Clause 2, the President has the power to negotiate and sign treaties, but they must be ratified with the advice and consent of the Senate. For a treaty to be officially ratified, it requires a two-thirds vote in the Senate. This supermajority vote ensures that treaties have a significant level of support before becoming legally binding.
Although the Senate historically takes on the role of consenting to treaties after the President negotiates them, it is important to note that many international agreements today are not actually treated as treaties. Instead, they are often made as executive agreements, which do not require the same Senate consent as formal treaties. The use of executive agreements has become a point of discussion regarding the balance of powers between the branches of government.