What were Gorbachev's new policies?

• A. Perestroika and Glasnost
• B. Abolition of the Soviet Union
• C. Expansion of the police state
• D. Increased central planning

Answer: (A)

Gorbachev’s new policies center on two ideas: openness in government and restructuring of the economy. Glasnost means greater freedom of information, criticism allowed, and more transparency in political life and media. Perestroika refers to reorganizing the economy to introduce some market-like mechanisms, decentralize decision-making, and reduce rigid central control. Together, these reforms aimed to revitalize the Soviet system by encouraging debate, improving efficiency, and reducing stagnation. The other options don’t fit: abolishing the Soviet Union did not happen as a policy, expanding the police state runs counter to glasnost, and increasing central planning contradicts perestroika’s goal of economic restructuring.