ABSTRACT
Glasnost' has demonstrated the continuing power of the word in Russia. From the leadership's standpoint, glasnost' is a principal fulcrum in a massive effort at social engineering directed as much at reconstructing Soviet political culture as at reforming the structures of power. Glasnost' entails both a loosening and a reprogramming of the ideological content of public expression; as Mikhail Gorbachev put it in December 1984: Broad, timely and frank information is testimony to trust in people, respect for their intelligence and feelings, their ability themselves to interpret various events. Prompted by a significant shift in policy at the center, glasnost' alters authority relations throughout the political system. Moreover, through law and decree no less than through glasnost', Gorbachev has swept away decades of homage to collectivism, seeking to unleash personal interest as a motive force in production and trade, and to improve quality and performance through competitive pressure both in economic and political spheres.
