Answer:
1. The Porfiriato, spanning from 1876 to 1911, denotes a distinctive epoch of political constancy and economic progress in Mexico. This era witnessed the influx of foreign investment, primarily in the form of capital that financed the construction of extensive railway networks, thereby revolutionizing Mexico's economy. The Porfiriato is revered for modernizing Mexico's infrastructure, particularly transportation and communication systems, and expanding its industrial sector. Nonetheless, the benefits of the Porfiriato's economic growth were not equitably dispensed, and a significant proportion of Mexico's populace, especially small farmers and indigenous peoples, remained bereft of its rewards. The regime's infatuation with laissez-faire liberalism is also a point of criticism, given its exploitative treatment of workers in industries such as sugar.
2. During the Porfiriato, the economic growth primarily benefitted the wealthy and urban middle class, leaving the poor with limited economic prospects. The regime is lauded for its contributions towards modernizing Mexico's infrastructure, encompassing transportation and communication systems, as well as expanding the country's industrial base. However, the progress during the Porfiriato was distributed unequally, resulting in the majority of Mexicans, especially small farmers and indigenous people, being left without economic gains. The existing class disparity was not ameliorated during this time, and the regime was censured for the exploitation of workers, especially in the sugar industry. The Mexican Revolution was a consequence of increasing unrest among the lower classes, who were mobilized to demand political and economic transformation.