Reforms and ethnic issues contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. What was the next step in helping Russia become a major power in the world? Boris Yeltsin ruled Russia for most of a decade promoting so-called democracy and better living conditions than the Soviet Union. There were some failures and some successes, but once Yeltsin was too old for the job, he found a successor. Thus, Yeltsin handed over the presidency to Putin; the promotion of democracy was severely limited by an authoritarian leader who wanted more power. During the 1990s, corruption increased and spread with the development of the Russian mafia. “Many Russians believed that the unbridled pursuit of individual interests during the 1990s gave rise to anarchy, corruption, and other centrifugal forces that weakened the state (Richter 40). » Extreme hyperinflation and the ruble nearly collapsed overnight in the second half of the decade due to investment anarchy. Boris Yeltsin had many problems, especially regarding the development of a constitution. “In 1996, about a quarter of Russians felt satisfied with the course of democratization, almost as many as were dissatisfied (Colton and McFaul 17). » Even though a large part of the population was unhappy with the government, they did not want the return of the Communist Party. The confirmation of authoritarian rule came with Putin's eight-year term in office. The state was founded on the masses' desire for "order" and a return to traditionalism. Throughout this period, Putin's regime continued to relentlessly attack the pro-democratic aspirations of Yeltsin's supporters. They were determined to discredit them by any means possible. “When Boris Yeltsin was elected for a second term in 1996, ...... middle of paper ...... of the government. Putin is simply becoming extremely greedy, and if the Russian people do not rise up against him, they will eventually fall back towards communism. Finally, Russia has the ability to explore the full potential of life and become prosperous; this change in the way of doing things is necessary. The era of communism was a distorted socialist attempt to prevent democratic development and keep the people under control. Works Cited Colton, Timothy J and Michael McFaul. "Putin and democratization". Herspring, Dale R. Putin's Russia: Imperfect Past, Uncertain Future. New York: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, INC., 2001. 13-38. McFaul, Michael and Kathryn Stoner-Weiss. “The myth of the authoritarian model.” Foreign Affairs (2008): 68-84. Richter, James. “Putin and the Public Chamber.” Richter, James. Post-Soviet affairs. Bellwether Publishing, Ltd..., 2009. 39-65.