And it is not just affecting the role of government actors in the policy process. There has been little debate about the extent to which these changing roles and relationships impact upon democratic processes, at either the national or the international levels. The internal balance of power in OECD countries is being affected by globalisation. The rationale behind this is that executive government is entering into agreements that have serious implications for their given functions and responsibilities. For example, environmental treaties set limits on sub-national governments' capacities to manage local land and resource use.
Globalisation also has implications for the relationships between groups of countries.
In practice, regionalism may be a step on the way to multilateralism, and a means to equalise the power relationships in international decision-making between heterogeneous players. Citizens are now informed directly from international sources, particularly via global television and, more recently, the Internet. For example, citizens can use information about what neighbouring governments are or are not doing, to challenge or pressure their own governments. Globalisation allows people to organise themselves more quickly and effectively across national borders. Interest groups are increasingly organised internationally and capable of influencing the policy debate in several countries at the same time.