The need to stop the king becoming over powerful was recognised by parliament after the civil war & restoration, it is is one of the reasons that Britain has never had a large standing army.
The need to stop the government becoming over powerful was foreseen as a danger by the founders of the United States who, as a result, stipulated that citizens have the right to bear arms (albeit though a militia).
The recognition that the state has a monopoly of power is central to Hobbs view of the Social Contract (Hobbs) and it was no doubt the thought behind Mao’s axiom that all political power comes from the barrel of a gun.
Part 3 Consider - On Power - Ways of exerting power