National Republican Senatorial Committee v. Federal Election Comm’n · ¶83

The Court has often stated that stare decisis promotes the “evenhanded, predictable, and consistent development of legal principles, fosters reliance on judicial decisions, and contributes to the actual and perceived integrity of the judicial process.” Payne v. Tennessee, 501 U. S. 808, 827 (1991). But stare decisis is not an “inexorable command.” Ramos v. Louisiana, 590 U. S. 83, 105 (2020) (quotation marks omitted). And it is “at its weakest when we interpret the Constitution.” Ibid. (quotation marks omitted). As Justice Brandeis wrote and remains true: In “cases involving the Federal Constitution, where correction through legislative action is practically impossible, this Court has often overruled its earlier decisions.” Burnet v. Coronado Oil & Gas Co., 285 U. S. 393, 406–407 (1932) (dissenting opinion).

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