The government has different branches to keep checks and balances on eachother. (Granted I think these branches were made to insure that the American government could never collapse. Not so much to keep government out of people's lives..)

The president is not like a dictator, he has to answer to other branches such as the legislative branch and congress.


Also we have vise president, secretary of state, etc. These people are inline to become president incase the president dies.


All in all the presidancy is a hierachy based order democratically elected. Congress is sometimes elected but wholly selected by other government branches much like the legislative branch.


This is why we're called a democratic-republic. Is it the best way to govern? That's debatable, but it's best to know what we're dealing with before we side with or oppose it...