After the start of a global recession in 2008, most of the world's economies suffered dramatic and significant aftershocks, upsetting both global markets and national currencies. In the years since, many nations have seen significant recovery, but others are still struggling. The United States and China saw solid growth between 2008 and 2014, for instance, but Greece and Italy experienced short periods of economic growth and then sudden failure. The inability of these nations to recover affects all countries in the region. Other nations have had to adjust their foreign policies to protect their economic interests, and the result has been major shake-ups in the European Union.

Over the past 20 years, new global power structures have emerged and developed, and the central focus of this shift in fortune has been countries in Asia. China, India, Japan, and South Korea,  are now major players in industry and electronics, and they are the source of significant numbers and types of marketable goods. China is also one of the largest controllers of global debt, including over $1 trillion owed by the United States. Meanwhile, nations in the Pacific Rim region are clambering to work with China and other southeast Asian nations, eagerly entering into trade agreements.

Despite recent isolationist tendencies in parts of the Western world, globalization--the effort by businesses to participate more fully in international markets--is here to stay for better or worse. Historians and economists tend to agree that globalization is neither good nor bad--it just is. Still, some citizens feel its effects as decidedly negative, while others continue to benefit from the opening of foreign markets and the lifting of trade barriers. Because of the connections between economics, security, and political stability, some level of globalism will remain essential for any nation's survival. Successful participation in the global market involves cooperation with international organizations, such as the United Nations or BRICS, as well as more localized groups like the European Union, the African Union, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Terrorism seems destined to remain a primary concern for most nations for the foreseeable future. In response, most governments have developed official policies designed to deal with terrorists and terrorist groups, as well as nations that appear to support or "provide safe harbor" to terrorists. The biggest terrorist threat as of 2018 remains ISIS, the Islamic State, and other groups that are either directly or loosely affiliated with ISIS. However, many nations are affected by terrorist groups with more local concerns--whether ethnic, environmental, or economic. Some countries, such as Spain, even face demands from groups within their current borders who want independence from the national government.