NEW YORK, Nov. 2 -- A highly contested election would cause further damage to America's global image as an exemplar of democracy and the rule of law, eroding its soft power. Particularly over the past four years, the country has increasingly come to be regarded as a political basket case.

Opinion polls in the United States have long pointed to the strong possibility of a Democratic Party sweep in the election on November 3, with Joe Biden winning the presidency and Democrats gaining control of the US Senate and holding on to the House of Representatives, putting an end to divided government.

But if the election turns out to be mostly a referendum on US President Donald Trump, Democrats might win just the White House while failing to ret...