The huge exception has been Yugoslavia, seen in 1989 as a template of multi- ethnicity and pluralism, a halfway house between centrally planned socialism and the harsh and distant world of Western capitalism.

ECONOMIST: The world after 1989

The internet company just announced three deals that could serve as something of a new template, one in which much of the content it offers its users is produced not in-house, at great expense, but by outside partners.

FORBES: AOL Says Howdy, Partner, with New Content Deals; Layoffs Loom

Now, with the May 5 primary looming, the Buckeye State is shaping up as a template for 1998, a test case for whether Republicans, exploiting the benefits of incumbency, can institutionalize their House majority as they head into the 2000 presidential campaign, or whether Democrats, exploiting the financial backing of labor unions, can regain control.

CNN: By Erika Niedowski, CQ Staff Writer