Having the voters choose their representatives is an important way that the ideal of popular sovereignty is translated into political reality. Each election allows the voters to take stock of the work of their representatives, and every two years each voter has a chance to appraise the work of their representatives in Congress. This cartoon refers to the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946. Cartoonist Clifford Berryman appears to imply that the Democratic leadership in Congress, Senate majority leader Alben W. Barkley (D-Ky.) and House Speaker Sam Rayburn (D-Tex.), had hopes that Congressional reform would be politically popular. However, John Q. Public's reply suggests that Berryman was skeptical of reform's political impact. As it turned out, the Republicans swept to power in November, 1946, gaining control of the House and Senate.

This cartoon was drawn by Clifford Berryman, one of Washington, DC's best-known cartoonists in the early to mid-1900s. Berryman drew for the Washington Post and Evening Star newspapers. His cartoons touched on a variety of subjects including politics, elections, and both World Wars.

This cartoon concerns the 1948 presidential election. President Harry S. Truman, the Democratic Presidential nominee in the election of 1948, was widely expected to lose by a large margin to Republican nominee Thomas E. Dewey. This cartoon, printed just days before the election, shows Dewey confidently looking over the shoulder of a frowning Truman as they read bulletins showing the prevailing public opinion at the time. Despite several polls predicting a landslide victory for Dewey, Truman won the election in one of the biggest and most well-known political upsets in U.S. history. Journalists at the Chicago Tribune were so convinced that Dewey would win that they prematurely printed the headline "Dewey Defeats Truman" on the front page.

This cartoon refers to the legislative branch review of individuals appointed to the Supreme Court, but it also could apply to any high official whose appointment is subject to Senate confirmation. The Senate has the constitutional responsibility to evaluate the appointments of individuals to high Federal office by Presidents. Although political divisions within the Senate and between it and the White House have sometimes resulted in contentious nomination hearings, the Constitution mandates that the President and Senate must both agree on the appropriateness for office of every major appointee. The resignation of former Chief Justice William Howard Taft in early February focused attention on possible candidates to replace shim. The Senate had to review and approve of the President's nomination for a new Chief Justice, and these Senate committee reviews were notoriously meticulous. In preparation for the reviews, cartoonist Clifford Berryman suggests a full suit of armor for the candidates.

This cartoon was drawn by Clifford Berryman, one of Washington, DC's best-known cartoonists in the early to mid-1900s. Berryman drew for the Washington Post and Evening Star newspapers. His cartoons touched on a variety of subjects including politics, elections, and both World Wars.