How did the government try to solve problems in Among the Hidden?

In the world of the novel, the Government controls where its citizens can live, what foods they can eat, and even how many children its citizens can have. The term for this kind of political rule is totalitarianism: the Government controls every aspect of its citizens' lives.

Luke's family believes that the government possesses the power to watch citizens through televisions and computers, and they are careful to hide Luke's existence even from extended family members and neighbors. However, when Luke meets Jen, she introduces him to the fact that the massive governmental apparatus is actually quite clunky and inept. She is able to connect with other Shadow Children through the internet, and they even go shopping with her mother.

However, the Government still possesses the power to kill Jen and her fellow protesting Shadow Children. It is also able to track Luke's location at Jen's house when he sends a message to the now-defunct chatroom for Shadow Children, and it is only the intervention of Jen's father that is able to save him. Overall, the Government's inconsistency in enforcing rules and establishing its power makes it more frightening, since it's not clear which actions will result in detection and death.