What must happen for a treaty to be ratified?

• A. Approval by the House of Representatives
• B. Approval by the Supreme Court
• C. Ratification by three-fourths of state legislatures
• D. Approval by two-thirds of the Senate

Answer: (D)

For a treaty to be ratified, it must receive approval from two-thirds of the Senate. This requirement is established by the U.S. Constitution in Article II, Section 2, which states that the President can make treaties but only with the advice and consent of the Senate, specifically requiring a two-thirds majority for ratification. This threshold is set to ensure that treaties have a broad level of support among the legislative branch, reflecting a significant consensus before a binding international agreement is formalized.

This process reflects the framers' intention to create a careful balance of power in foreign affairs, ensuring that treaties are not concluded unilaterally by the Executive branch without substantial legislative backing. The other options involve processes that are not relevant to treaty ratification: the House of Representatives does not play a direct role in this process, the Supreme Court is not involved in treaty approval, and ratification by state legislatures is not part of the constitutional requirement for treaties.