Perhaps the primary cause is a profit motive. In competitive markets, competition will keep costs and profits from ballooning. What kind of market conditions

Perhaps the primary cause is a profit motive. In competitive markets, competition will keep costs and profits from ballooning. What kind of market conditions are required for spending to increase in all sorts of directions? I can immediately point to education as an example where both lenders and colleges both have a vested interest in growing eachother's businesses, paid for by the customer.