Mikhail Gorbachev was the main architect of the Soviet Union's policies of Glasnost (openness) and Perestroika (restructuring), which aimed to reform the political and economic systems in the late 1980s. Introduced during his leadership from 1985 to 1991, Glasnost allowed for greater freedom of expression, leading to increased public criticism of the government and greater access to information. Perestroika sought to revitalize the Soviet economy by decentralizing control and introducing market-like reforms. While these policies were intended to strengthen the Soviet Union, they inadvertently contributed to its dissolution in 1991, marking a significant shift in global politics.