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As a result to previous Soviet leaders shouting for totalitarianism,Mikhail Gorbachev found that these social and economic reforms brought about new ideas and information. In 1985, he called this "glasnost", which means openness. An openness to new ideas and thoughts. He used this new term to encourage Soviet citizens to improve their civilization.
This simple term brought creative new changes into the society. Churches were opened. Dissidents were released from prison. Books were published by previously banned authors. Reporters were free to broadcast their opinions. It was as if the constitution freedom of speech was suddenly released and everyone was taking what they could get.
In 1985 again, Gorbachev brought in another term called "perestroika", which means economic restructuring. This gave local managers more power to take care of their farms and factories and people more freedom to open up their own shops to provide profit for themselves. Gorbachev's focus wasn't on exterminating communism but with this new process of economic restructuring, that exactly what started to slowly happened.