On one hand, many options once taken for granted by nation-state actors are now costly or impossible. Yet on the other hand, new opportunities now appear for nation-state actors that hold potential to transform world affairs. The pressures on the nation-state come from below and above. The state is under pressure from below because actors within states continue to grow powerful, influential and ready to confront the state on its concerns. One obvious such actor is business.
Many international corporations have budgets larger than many nation-states.
In a global economy, the ability to retain political power is increasingly linked to economic success. There are grave costs and benefits related to this trend. With each passing year, most nation-states find it more difficult to ignore the interests of businesses operating within its borders. The pressure from below comes from other places as well. Worldwide, the past few decades have seen a global shift towards the reassertion of ethnic and religious identities.