"Glasnost" or openness, to many Western observers, is a sign of democratization and a loosening of central control in almost all aspects of Soviet life. However, an analysis of excerpts from "Pravda" shows no evidence of any breaks with Leninist theory or revision in the roles of the government and masses and instead suggests that "glasnost" fosters criticism of mid-level officials but preserves the autonomy of top party leaders, and their control of the press. One reason for "glasnost's" apparent failure to permit broader popular criticism is that such dissent and use of the press are heretical to Leninist theory, and Lenin's decrees on the use of the press in political socialization have been dutifully heeded. The document states that the success of such socialization, and Lenin's contempt for the competence of the masses, militates against a loosening of central control. Yet it is precisely decentralization and "glasnost" that are essential to Mikhail Gorbachev's efforts to invigorate Soviet economic and political life. Gorbachev has said that with no political opposition in the Soviet regime, "glasnost" must function as the monitor of government. It is held that the main problem is opposition from within the party, and this problem cannot be overstated, given the Soviet political elite's tradition of rule by consensus. (Forty-three notes are included, and 35 references are appended.) (MS)