You’re not imagining it: More global crises are arising today than in past decades. Economically, politically and socially, it appears as if the fractures in the world’s systems are only getting worse. As crises multiply, two questions seem key: First, can the global system hold together and tamp down some of these issues? And second, why is all this happening now?

Wharton professor Mauro Guillen answers both of those questions, and many others in his new book, The Architecture of Collapse: The Global System in the 21 st Century . Guillen, who is also director of The Lauder Institute at Wharton, joined us on the Knowledge at Wharton Show on Sirius XM channel 111 to talk about what’s causing this surge of complex problems, and what, if anything, can be done to ameliorate it.

An edited version of that interview appears below.

Knowledge at Wharton : How strong or weak is the global system right now?

Mauro Guillen : In terms of the structure of the global economy — and the political and economic institutions…