High prices are often symptoms of policies that restrict supply and weaken competition. Comment “Expensive” and we’ll send you an article about the subject. When governments make it harder to build homes, open businesses, or provide services, fewer suppliers can meet consumer demand. The result is higher prices. In Oklahoma, for example, housing prices have risen 55 percent since 2020. Experts argue that faster permitting, smaller lots, and more flexible zoning could expand housing supply and improve affordability. Government spending can also fail to make essential services cheaper. Despite substantial state funding, college costs continue to rise, while Oklahoma’s per-capita healthcare spending increased 220 percent between 2000 and 2024, far faster than personal income. Instead of expanding government intervention, policymakers should remove barriers to entry and let competition increase supply and put downward pressure on prices.