In the given question, a statement of Assertion is followed by a statement of Reason. Mark the correct answer.

Assertion: With the collapse of communism, the second-world countries transitioned from authoritarian socialist systems to democratic capitalist systems.
Reason: Communism had failed to ensure the fulfillment of the aspirations of the masses and led to stagnated growth and decline in all economic and political indicators of development.

Both the Assertion and the Reason are correct and the Reason is the correct explanation of the Assertion.

The Soviet Union had become stagnant in an administrative and political sense as well. It used up most of its economic and natural resources in maintaining its military and nuclear arsenal and managing its satellite countries. It lacked any technological advance and fell behind in economic growth led to large-scale dissatisfaction among the masses who bore the brunt of a corrupt and maladministered system alienating them further.