With all the constitutional checks and balances in place the President cannot do much unilaterally. It's irrational to fear the actions of the resident in the oval office, unless we somehow managed to elect a sociopath who would then have the nuke codes.

The House and Senate in reality have far more power then the President in day to day matters, and local legislatures have a far greater effect on your day to day life than anythign that Washington does.