GLASNOST: The term used to describe Mikhail Gorbachev’s policy of government transparency during the time that he was the General Secretary of the Communist Party in the Soviet Union. It was a policy that was vigorously opposed by Party hardliners. The word is very old in Russian usage, and had always referred to “the process.” Gorbachev coined the word to mean the process of encouraging and putting into effect a new practice of citizens to describe openly and publicly their problems with government and offering solutions.
PERESTROIKA: The term used to describe Mikhail Gorbachev’s policy of restructuring the Soviet Communist Party, another policy opposed by Party hardliners. In practice, it allowed ministries to act with much greater autonomy than had previously been normal.
NOTE: Practiced together, hardliners saw glasnost and perestroika represented an existential threat to the Soviet Union because they encouraged independent action and speaking out against government abuse.