Mikhail Gorbachev and The Collapse of Communism

Mikhail Gorbachev was one of the candidates to replace Leonid Brezhnev. He was elected and he wanted to change the way things were done. Mikhail didn't want a totalitarian state because he knew it wouldn't change. He decided on a policy called Glasnost. Glasnost is a policy for openness. He let the citizens decide what to do. They suggested some ideas like opening churches, publishing books of banned authors, and releasing dissidents. Peristrokia was an idea for economic reform. Glasnost wanted some people to change the economy too. Small private businesses were allowed to operate and managers controlled more of their farms and factories. Instead of the old political system, Mikhail made people choose the candidates. It made it more like a democracy instead of a communist state.