I was recently listening to population growth lecture from 90s Yale and among few things that really struck me was a phrase that said something to the effect of 'while the locals may object over their personal interests, we, the elite, may see it through a more wide economic lens'. It was fascinating and it helped me understand the deeply ingrained distrust in US population of the educated 'elite'. I always thought thought it was largely uninformed bias, as I keep listening to old Yale lectures, I learn that US populace is a lot smarter than most give it credit.