__NOTOC__ CAVE (Citizens Against Virtually Everything), sometimes known as BANANA (Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyone/Anything) is a

pejorative A pejorative or slur is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or a disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hostility, or disregard. Sometimes, a ...

term for citizens who regularly oppose any changes in their community, organization or workplace. The phenomenon is linked to the so-called

NIMBY NIMBY (or nimby), an acronym for the phrase "not in my back yard", is a characterization of opposition by residents to proposed developments in their local area, as well as support for strict land use regulations. It carries the connotation that ...

(Not In My Back Yard) attitude. In NIMBYism, residents generally support a

policy Policy is a deliberate system of guidelines to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes. A policy is a statement of intent and is implemented as a procedure or protocol. Policies are generally adopted by a governance body within an orga ...

in principle, but do not support it being applied in their particular area. A common example is

wind turbine A wind turbine is a device that converts the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy. Hundreds of thousands of large turbines, in installations known as wind farms, now generate over 650 gigawatts of power, with 60 GW added each yea ...

s, where most people are supportive, but do not wish to live near one. On the other hand, CAVE/BANANA people do not support the policy in any form, regardless of what local residents or stakeholders feel. This attitude is manifested in opposition to changes in

public policy Public policy is an institutionalized proposal or a decided set of elements like laws, regulations, guidelines, and actions to solve or address relevant and real-world problems, guided by a conception and often implemented by programs. Public p ...

as varied as

tax levies A tax levy under United States federal law is an administrative action by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) under statutory authority, generally without going to court, to seize property to satisfy a tax liability. The levy "includes the power ...

, sewer rates,

public transport Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typi ...

ation routes, parking regulations and

municipal A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

mergers or annexations. CAVE/BANANA people often express their views publicly by attending community meetings, writing letters to the local newspaper, or calling in to

talk radio Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featu ...

shows, similar to NIMBYs. This can sometimes create an effect where those who oppose a policy are more vocal than those who support it or are indifferent, however, exact rates are often difficult to identify.

Examples

The terms "CAVE people" and "BANANAs" were used in a 2022 op-ed to describe the populace of Stamford, Connecticut. The op-ed was written by a former municipal employee and described CAVE people as seeing "no issue simultaneously arguing conflicting points so long as nothing changes."

Origin

A reference to the term "CAVE dwellers" can be found in the September 30, 1990, edition of the ''Orlando Sentinel''. The term apparently existed before the publication of the article.

References

External links

Mention in the ''Orlando Sentinel'', September 30, 1990Definition at Word Spy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cave People Activism Pejorative terms for people Political terminology