Final answer:
English common law has influenced our modern democratic institutions and procedures primarily by a. shaping legal precedents.
Step-by-step explanation:
English common law has influenced our modern democratic institutions and procedures primarily by a. shaping legal precedents. The Magna Carta, for example, codified the principles of due process and was later adopted by the United States in its own constitution.
This concept of due process, where a free man cannot be penalized without a lawful judgment by peers, contributes to the democratic principles of fairness and justice.