Over the past three decades, Vietnam's political system has played a unique role in leading the country's economic liberation, and Party elites have used internal reforms to adapt the political system and the Party's leadership to fit into the country's broader transformation. In fact, since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Party has actively explored ways to expand its political accountability and gradually reshape the Party's monopoly over state affairs. Vietnam's political process has proved to be more resilient than its forerunner in China and is characterized by a combination of competitive (but limited) elections for senior and local officials, a more powerful legislative branch and greater transparency in government actions. Because of this and the country's relatively strong economy over the past decade, public discontent against the Party has remained relatively low and there has been little threat of regime change.