Ronald Reagan once said that an American “lives in anticipation of the future because he knows it will be a great place.” But today’s backlash against data center construction, the latest target of an increasingly vigorous “Not In My Backyard” movement, is putting Americans in the opposite mood.

At issue in both the data center controversy and the larger NIMBY push to urge state and local governments to block new construction is Americans’ shifting attitude toward change itself. Americans are increasingly skeptical that changes in their community will usher in a “great” future. New construction is viewed as bad by default until proven otherwise.