What was the name of the reform policy implemented by Mikhail Gorbachev in 1985 to restructure the Soviet economy and government?

• A. Glasnost
• B. Demokratizatsiya
• C. Perestroika
• D. Detente

Answer: (C)

Perestroika, meaning “restructuring,” was Gorbachev’s reform policy launched in 1985 to overhaul the Soviet economy and how the government operated. It aimed to decentralize decision-making, reduce the rigidity of central planning, and introduce limited market-like mechanisms to boost efficiency and productivity, while keeping the political system under Communist leadership. The effort also included political changes to make governance somewhat more responsive, though within the one-party framework. Glasnost focused on openness and transparency in society and government, and Demokratizatsiya aimed at democratizing the political process by allowing more public participation and competition within the system. Detente is about easing tensions with the West, not a domestic reform program. So the policy described is Perestroika.