Reforms and ethnic problems contributed to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. What was the next move to help Russia become a great power in the world? Boris Yeltsin led Russia for much of the decade promoting something known as democracy and better living conditions than the Soviet Union. There were some failures along with the success, however once Yeltsin was too old for the job he found a successor. Then, Yeltsin passed the presidency to Putin; democracy promotion was severely limited by an authoritarian leader who wanted more power. Corruption during the 1990s increased and expanded with the development of the Russian mafia. “Many Russians believed that the unbridled pursuit of individual interests during the 1990s gave rise to lawlessness, corruption, and other centrifugal forces that weakened the state (Richter 40).” Extreme hyperinflation and the ruble almost collapsed overnight in the second half of the decade due to illegal investments. Boris Yeltsin had many problems especially with developing a constitution. “About a quarter of Russians felt satisfied in 1996 with the path to democratization, or almost as many were dissatisfied (Colton and McFaul 17).” Even though a large percentage of the population was dissatisfied with the government, they did not want the return of the communist party. Confirmation of authoritarian rule came with Putin's eight-year term. The state was based on the masses' desire for "order" and a return to traditionalism. Throughout this period, the Putin regime continued to relentlessly attack the democratic aspirations of Yeltsin's supporters. They were determined to discredit them in every way possible. “When Boris Yeltsin was elected to a second term in 1996, … mid-paper … by the government. Putin is becoming extremely greedy, and if the Russian people do not rise up against him, they will eventually fall back to communism. Finally, Russia has the ability to explore the full potential of life and become prosperous; this change in the way things are done is necessary. The era of communism was a distorted socialist attempt to prevent democratic development and keep people under control. Works Cited Colton, Timothy J, and Michael McFaul. "Putin and democratization". Herspring, the Russia of Dale R. Putin's imperfect past and 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.