The period between 2016 and 2020 saw a significant shift in the priorities of Western governments. The passing of Brexit marked a challenge to the supremacy of the European Union, and the election of Donald Trump demonstrated the importance of evolving dynamics in international relationships. Additionally, intelligence frameworks started to be more concerned about democratic integrity, cyber warfare, and hybrid threats. Relations between Western governments and Russia during this time remained tense, particularly regarding questions of democratic interference in elections. To maintain the administrative state, civil servants and intelligence officers had to maintain professional objectivity while operating within polarized political environments.

The period also saw growing public awareness of conflicts between maintaining civil liberties and national security operations giving rise to concerns about the intersection of private wealth, political power, and national security. These developments reflected broader uncertainties about the future of liberal democratic institutions and international cooperation in an era of rising nationalism and declining institutional trust. The period marked a significant transition in how Western societies understood their political institutions and international relationships.

Intelligence agencies during this period faced unprecedented challenges in managing both internal and external threats, including the rise of cyber warfare, the increasing sophistication of disinformation campaigns, and the growing intersection between organized crime and state-sponsored activities.