Portuguese to English Social Sciences Government / Politics

This is a historical review of, basically, the tension between democracy and the defence of executive power. The phase occurs throughout the text and I'm sure it does not refer to the "seat of power" in the sense of a physical place. For example:
"...a defesa da sede do poder condicionou frequentemente a integral aplicação dos princípios (democráticos)."
"A defesa da sede do poder, que reservou o acesso aos privilegiados, rodeou o direito à felicidade de uma muralha defensiva."
I'm toying with ideas like "establishment power" or "the established power" or even "State power". What do colleagues think?