The president isn't elected by the people. The electoral college elects the president. The people vote for representatives in the, you guessed it, house of representatives. The house is part of the national level of the legislature. They work in a bicameral system, sharing their power with the Senate. Also, the people can run for president. ANYONE can run for president (assuming you're over 30 and are an American citizen) there's hardly anything stopping you from running in the elections.
I never said people aren't more corrupt than the government, I said that they are corrupt. A true democracy doesn't work because majority factions exist.
So you're suggesting a true democracy? That doesn't work. All it takes is a majority faction and we all go downhill. People are corrupt. The government has many many checks and balances against itself.