ABSTRACT
The onset of Mexico's economic crisis in August 1982 produced a profound sense of pessimism, both within Mexico and abroad, regarding the prospects for continued political stability in the country. The most pressing problem is perhaps unemployment and the negative political repercussions it could have. Even before August 1982, Mexico was faced with a severe unemployment problem. Mexico's political stability has in great part depended on a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship between government and labor. Mexico's middle class benefited greatly from the Mexican Revolution of 1910 and the economic and political systems established in its aftermath. Related to the discussion of Mexico's middle class is the issue of private-sector confidence in the government. Accordingly, the US-Mexican border will probably remain fairly porous and continue to provide a kind of "safety" valve for Mexico's surplus labor into the foreseeable future.
