When Mikhail Gorbachev took over as leader of the Soviet Union in March 1985, he began the process of introducing reforms such as glasnost, perestroika and democratization. the Soviet system. Glasnost, or openness, encouraged the free flow of ideas and information, but this flow came at the cost of many people losing their fear of the Communist Party. Perestroika, or economic restructuring, was designed to revive the flagging Soviet economy by injecting a small amount of capitalism into the Soviet command economy; however, this small decline only served to destabilize the economy and create more stagnation. Ultimately, democratization pushed the USSR in a more democratic direction by allowing multi-candidate elections, but this change in direction ultimately helped overthrow the Soviet government and power structure. Together, these and other policy changes instituted by Gorbachev helped bring about the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 1985, shortly after taking office as general secretary of the Communist Party and leader of the Soviet Union, Gorbachev unveiled a policy known as glasnost, or openness. This policy was intended to encourage a greater flow of information and ideas within the Soviet Union in order to revive the dead Soviet society and rejuvenate the failing Soviet economy. This policy grew out of Gorbachev's belief that no meaningful social or economic reform could take place in the Soviet totalitarian state that encouraged silence. The immediate goals of this policy were achieved without serious problems, as demonstrated by the media that began to scrutinize and even criticize officials, the government began to reveal some truths of Soviet history, and the people began to to... paper... the government's iron control over the Soviet people. With these and other factors operating together inside and outside the Soviet Union, the USSR was bound to collapse, as it did so spectacularly in the early 1990s. Works Cited Beck, Roger B. "Ch. 35 Sec. 3." Interaction patterns of world history. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, 2007. 1046-047. Print. Cayton, Andrew RL, Elisabeth I. Perry, Linda Reed, and Allan M. Winkler. "Ch. 33 Sec. 3." America: Pathways to the Present. Needham, MA: Prentice Hall, 2003. 1112-113. Print.Heuvel, Katrina V. and Stephen F. Cohen. “Gorbachev in 1989.” The Nation. Internet. November 26, 2011. .Rempel, Gerhard. “Gorbachev and Perestroika.” WNEC TEACHER/STAFF HOME PAGES. February 2, 1996. Web. November 26. 2011. .