The courts
consent decree
A settlement entered as a court order, so a judge can enforce it. Used for police reform, environmental cleanup, and antitrust remedies.
In full
Because it is an order rather than a contract, violating a consent decree is contempt of court, and the judge retains jurisdiction to supervise compliance, sometimes for years and often through a monitor. That durability is the point: it binds successors in office who did not negotiate it, which is also why decrees are politically contested.
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.