Why is education increasing in government budgeting priority?

Education and literacy are very important when a country is developing. It is important for accommodating the shift from service careers to technology careers. As Juan Diego said, a large majority of Costa Rican jobs are in service and commerce. In developed country, the majority of workers have jobs in information technology and industry. I agree that education is very important, and more government funding should be directed towards schools. It is a good investment in my opinion.

Why is the size of the middle class increasing?

In the 70s, there were essentially two classes: the upper class, which included the coffee owners, and the lower class, which included almost everyone else. Wealth was distributed poorly. The government was left of center and had a lot of control on the people. Juan Diego Sanchez Sanchez, who had very clear right-wing beliefs, explained how the polarization of classes and centralized left government were the primary cause of the economic crisis. With crisis comes reform. New parties took power in the 80s and business changed to accommodate more jobs with fair wages. This caused the rise of the middle class. Since the 80s, the middle class has been relatively steady. I agree that a strong middle class is an indicator of a good economy.

Why is coffee important to the Costa Rican economy?

For a few decades, coffee was the main export of Costa Rica. Even today, it is one of the main exports. Coffee has given the country a lot of wealth and given a lot of people jobs. When the country started roasting and branding the beans, it gave the goods more value and gave the country a stronger reputation. Coffee is important to the Costa Ricans because it gave them early opportunities to be involved with world trade. I agree that the coffee industry helped their economy get to the place it is today.