It’s very hard to feel good about any part of American politics today, I realize. When it isn’t a circus starring Roseanne Barr or Dinesh D’Souza, it’s a nightmare, with President Trump separating immigrant families, obstructing justice and damaging American interests abroad. I never expected to live through so dark of a period in Washington.

Outside of Washington, however, the picture really is different. In many cities and states, people aren’t only trying to minimize Trump’s damage. They’re actively using politics to improve lives.

Last week brought two big pieces of news that were obscured by the Trumpian circus. And both are parts of larger trends — ways that the political system is responding to public opinion and addressing the stagnation in American living standards over the past generation.

First, Chicago announced that it would make pre-kindergarten universal. By 2021, the city’s 4-year-olds will be able to go to school full time. The pre-K classes will have a student-to-staff ratio of 10:1, as experts recommend.