1930s: Like the United States, Europe in the 1930s suffers through the Great Depression. Millions of people are out of work, and as a result political parties on the extreme left and right (communist and fascist) gain popularity.

Today: In the United States, the healthiest economy in decades begins slowing down. Many of the vast fortunes generated by the Internet "bubble" disappear quickly, and hundreds of thousands are "downsized" by companies that shrink or go out of business entirely.

1930s: American president Herbert Hoover is voted out of office in 1932 largely because people are frustrated with his handling of the Great Depression, which began in 1929.

Today: In an outcome marked by the most serious electoral dispute in American history, Texas governor George W. Bush loses the popular vote to Vice President Al Gore but, because of a favorable Supreme Court decision, wins the necessary...