In what way did political policies act as a centrifugal force in the Soviet Union during the late 1980s? A. The government made strides to be more open with the people in the population, which improved communication

B. The government gave the people more freedom to criticize the government which led to nationalist movements

C. The government decided to increase its nuclear arms development, which angered the citizens.

D. The government tightened its hold on the economy, which left many citizens unemployed

E. The government made peace with the United States and its allies, which bolstered the economy.

The correct answer is B. The government gave the people more freedom to criticize the government which led to nationalist movements

Explanation:

In the late 1980s, the economic and social situation in the Soviet Union was tense. The socialist economy was on the verge of collapse, the war in Afghanistan was an assured defeat, and the quality of life for Soviet citizens was appalling.

Due to these situations, the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev decided to carry out a series of economic and political reforms, known as Perestroika and Glasnost, aimed at liberalizing the economy from a pure socialist model to a mixed model, and granting greater rights and civil liberties to the citizens.

Now, these freedoms granted to the population, instead of calming the waters, were seen by the political opposition (both internal and external) as a sign of weakness. This led to numerous mobilizations and demonstrations, which further weakened the already weak Soviet political apparatus and made possible the emergence of regionalist nationalisms in the former Soviet nations, especially those subjugated to the power of Russia.