Answer 4) Shapes the debate and controls legislative agenda.
The US Congress places a great importance on the political parties because party affiliation shapes the debate and controls the legislative agenda. Although political parties are not government institutions on their own, they work relentlessly to influence public policies by the official nomination and endorsement of members within their affiliate groups.
While an opposition party is in power, the political party not in power analyzes and emphasizes weak points in the governing party’s governance, and uses those analyses as crucial campaign points. The goal is to pressurize the ruling party to adopt this legislation, and eventually gain control of the governing seat of power.
Inherently, political parties in the US Congress, although not entirely acknowledged by the Constitution, are important because party affiliation helps the opposing parties to project and sponsor their candidates with the aim of gaining enough control to change certain public policies.