About this episode

Monique Field-Foster discusses Michigan's political volatility and its impact on population and income growth with host Guy Gordon and Eric Lupher.

In this #FactsMatter: Front Porch Edition conversation, Monique Field-Foster, executive partner at Warner Norcross + Judd, joins host Guy Gordon and Research President Eric Lupher to explore one of the central themes of conversation in Michigan policy circles: Michigan’s struggle with population growth, income growth, and political whiplash. Field-Foster reflects on her decades in government affairs and describes how Michigan’s political volatility — the “purple curse” of frequent partisan swings — leads to repeated policy resets rather than sustained progress. She argues that Michigan cannot improve population growth, income growth, or educational outcomes until leaders and voters embrace common ground, continuity, and a clearer understanding of what policy choices mean for residents. The discussion also highlights a growing governance challenge: local capacity in high‑stakes economic development. As global companies pursue data center projects in Michigan, negotiations often fall to small township boards with limited staff and part‑time elected officials. Field-Foster suggests Michigan may need a state‑level framework, similar to the solar siting process, to provide…

People in this episode

Host: Guy Gordon

Guest: Monique Field-Foster

Topics covered

• population growth
• income growth
• political volatility
• policy stability
• economic development
• local governance

Keywords

• Michigan
• population growth
• income growth
• political volatility
• policy stability
• economic development
• local governance

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Warner Norcross + Judd

Places: Michigan

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