As leaders gather for the Mackinac Policy Conference, a new poll suggests Michigan voters are frustrated with both politics and the state’s long-term direction.

The Detroit Regional Chamber survey conducted by the Glengariff Group found nearly 69% of voters say the nation’s two-party political system is not serving America well. Another 91% say they want Republicans and Democrats to compromise to solve Michigan’s problems.

At the same time, many voters appear unaware how poorly the state ranks nationally in key areas. Nearly 75% did not know that Michigan has fallen from 16th to 39th nationally in per-person income over the last 25 years.

Richard Czuba, pollster with the Glengarriff Group, told us why that’s a problem.

“I do a lot of work on public policy, and the one underlying fact of all that work is if voters don’t know there’s a problem, you can’t correct the problem, and what this shows is voters don’t even know there’s a problem in Michigan,” Czuba said.

The conference organizers say those numbers highlight why bipartisan conversations about education, economic growth, and workforce development will take center stage this week.

Michigan leaders gathering on Mackinac Island are expected to push aggressively for future-focused industries, including artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, and large-scale data centers. Business leaders argue Michigan must compete for billions in technology investments or risk falling further behind other states.