458
Rehnquist, C. J., dissenting
state law, which this Court does not sit to review." Volt Information Sciences, Inc. v. Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior Univ., 489 U. S. 468, 474 (1989). But "state law may nonetheless be pre-empted to the extent that it actually conflicts with federal law—that is, to the extent that it 'stands as an obstacle to the accomplishment and execution of the full purposes and objectives of Congress.' " Id., at 477 (quoting Hines v. Davidowitz, 312 U. S. 52, 67 (1941)).
The parties do not dispute that these contracts fall within the coverage of the FAA. 351 S. C., at 257, 569 S. E. 2d, at 355. The "central purpose" of the FAA is "to ensure that private agreements to arbitrate are enforced according to their terms." Mastrobuono v. Shearson Lehman Hutton, Inc., 514 U. S. 52, 53-54 (1995) (quoting Volt, supra, at 479 (internal quotation marks omitted)). See also Doctor's Associates, Inc. v. Casarotto, 517 U. S. 681, 688 (1996); First Options, supra, at 947. In other words, Congress sought simply to "place such agreements upon the same footing as other contracts." Volt, supra, at 474 (quoting Scherk v. Alberto-Culver Co., 417 U. S. 506, 511 (1974) (internal quotation marks omitted)). This aim "requires that we rigorously enforce agreements to arbitrate," Mitsubishi Motors Corp. v. Soler Chrysler-Plymouth, Inc., 473 U. S. 614, 626 (1985) (quoting Dean Witter Reynolds Inc. v. Byrd, 470 U. S. 213, 221 (1985) (internal quotation marks omitted)), in order to "give effect to the contractual rights and expectations of the parties," Volt, supra, at 479. See also Mitsubishi Motors, supra, at 626 ("[A]s with any other contract, the parties' intentions control").
Under the FAA, "parties are generally free to structure their arbitration agreements as they see fit." Volt, supra, at 479. Here, the parties saw fit to agree that any disputes arising out of the contracts "shall be resolved by binding arbitration by one arbitrator selected by us with consent of you." App. 34. Each contract expressly defines "us" as petitioner, and "you" as the respondent or respondents
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