In Smith v. Allwright, 321 U.S. 649, 665, 88 L. Ed. 987, 64 S. Ct. 757 (1944), the Court noted that it was "not unmindful of the desirability of continuity of decision in constitutional questions," but nevertheless recognized long-standing practice that the Court may "freely exercise" its power to reexamine the basis of its constitutional decisions: When convinced of former error, this Court has never felt constrained to follow precedent. In constitutional questions, where correction depends upon amendment and not upon legislative action this Court throughout its history has freely exercised its power to reexamine the basis of its constitutional decisions. This has long been accepted practice, and this practice has continued to this day. This is particularly true when the decision believed erroneous is the application of a constitutional principle rather than an interpretation of the Constitution to extract the principle itself. Id. at 665-66.