The Economics of Building a Newsletter
Reader and Newsletter of July
Last week, a reader's comment about socialism vs capitalism sparked a deep discussion in the comments, revealing how divided Americans are about free markets and the role of government. It reminded me why building this community matters so much. We need to learn more about economics and our core values in relation to the issues we want to address.
Speaking of community, this month, 800 of you decided to subscribe and learn more about economics with me. We're now at roughly 5,000 people on the mailing list, and I'm excited to grow toward my goal of 10,000 for the year. More importantly, engagement and readership continue to increase, which tells me we're building something valuable together.
While most newsletters focus on building a mailing list, the economics of my approach are focused on building a community of passionate and engaged readers. Every business needs to decide what it will maximize. Most focus on profits, some on social impact, and here, I am focusing on community engagement.
To continue building our community, I'd like to introduce a new monthly feature today, highlighting a Reader of the Month and recommending a Newsletter of the Month.
Quick Question for You
What economic topic would you like me to tackle next? Leave a comment and tell me what's keeping you up at night, whether it's economic uncertainty, inflation, housing costs, job market shifts, mobility, or something else entirely.
Reader of the Month: Phillip Tussing
This month, I want to highlight Phillip Tussing (Phillip Tussing), whose thoughtful engagement has made our community discussions even more meaningful.
In this week's post about supply-side economics, Phillip commented:
"I was alive in 1980 ;-). Laffer's curve was perfectly valid -- the only question is at what top marginal income tax rate does income to the government start to fall? The top marginal rate in 1980, when Reagan was elected, was 70% -- he reduced it to 50%"
This insight was helpful, as it is easy to forget how high taxes were in the past and how far they have come down since then.
About Phillip: Phillip teaches economics at Houston Community College, where he shapes the next generation's understanding of economic principles. His academic background includes a degree in the Study of Religion. This journey led him to undergraduate studies in Islam, creating a rich foundation for interfaith dialogue and cross-cultural understanding.
Why I’m Highlighting Phillip: Writing a newsletter can be a lonely experience. You never know who's reading and benefiting from your work. Hearing from readers like Phillip and watching a community develop in the comments section is one of the best things that can happen to a writer. If you haven't looked in the comments section, please do. You'll always learn something from his insights.
How to Get Featured
Want to be highlighted in a future newsletter? Keep engaging! Our community grows through thoughtful comments, constructive discussions, and readers who care about the topic.
Substack of the Month: American Inequality
What Makes American Inequality Special: This newsletter combines data visualization with storytelling to uncover America's most pressing social challenges. Jeremy Ney, and co-authors, focus on "data-driven insights on healthcare, housing, education, tech, policy, and entrepreneurship" and use "data visualizations and mapping to highlight America's regional divides."
Their latest post on Gen Z resonated with me. I have been spending a lot of time lately thinking about the economics of being a Gen Z, more on that in future posts.
What's Coming Next
It has been my dream to write, educate, and help make sense of the world we live in through the lens of economics. Your engagement, questions, and insights make this work meaningful. Thank you for being part of our growing community and for allowing me to bring my dream to life through this newsletter.
Be on the lookout for new content next week.
Stay curious,
-Dr. A
The primary driver of American inequality is inflation itself. When money is created - through central banking systems, expanded by fractional-reserve lending, and guided by government policy - it enters the economy unevenly. Those who receive and deploy new money first—typically financial institutions, governments, and asset owners—benefit before prices rise. Meanwhile, regular workers, pensioners and savers see their money buy less over time. In the end, inflation quietly shifts wealth upward, not because some people work harder, but because they get first access to new money.
How does a country build wealth and retain it without robust Primary and Secondary industries?