Final answer:
Mikhail Gorbachev was the Russian leader who implemented political reforms prior to economic reforms, with the introduction of 'glasnost' for openness and 'perestroika' for economic restructuring, which led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to the sequencing argument discussed, it was deemed a good decision for an important Russian leader to do political reforms before economic reforms. The correct answer is C. Mikhail Gorbachev. Mikhail Gorbachev was the leader of the Soviet Union who started the concepts of 'glasnost', which means political openness, and economic restructuring known as perestroika. These efforts were made to modernize the Soviet system and were a departure from the typical communist doctrine which often prioritized economic changes before political reforms.
Gorbachev's reforms aimed to open up the political system to make people feel a sense of ownership of the country before restructuring the economy. These policies of glasnost and perestroika eventually contributed to the dissolution of the Soviet Union, enabling many of the former Soviet states to establish forms of democratic governments.