A bellwether is any entity in a given arena that serves to create or influence trends or to presage future happenings. The term is derived from the Middle English bellewether and refers to the practice of placing a bell around the neck of a castrated ram (a wether) in order that this animal might lead its flock of sheep. In sociology, the term is applied in the active sense to a person or group of people who tend to create, influence or set trends. In politics, the term is more often applied… (More on Bellwether)