[3] The Norway Democrats have a conservative, Norwegian nationalist-oriented profile, and a centrist profile on economic issues; key issues are raising the minimal state pension, removal of toll stations, opposition to the European Union and a popular vote on Norway's membership in EEC, and opposition to immigration.

[9] The party was originally founded simply as the Democrats (Bokmål: Demokratene Nynorsk: Demokratane, DEM), and it bore this name from 2002 to 2010, and again from 2018 to 2023.

From 2010 to 2018, it was known as the Democrats in Norway (Bokmål: Demokratene i Norge Nynorsk: Demokratane i Noreg, DiN).

[20] In 2005, the Democrats became represented in the Bergen city council owing to the defection of a Progress Party councillor.

[21] The party stepped up its activity with the aim of gaining a foothold in the Norwegian Parliament at the 2005 parliamentary election.

The Democrats increased their number of candidates for the 2007 local elections, and ran in 85 municipalities and boroughs, as well as in all 19 counties.

Eleven weeks after his appointment as leader, Sellæg left the Democrats to form a new party, the Moderates.

Litleskare withdrew from the position in 2014 citing internal non-political conflicts, and was succeeded by Ellen Simonsen as acting leader.

[43] In the 2019 local elections, the party gained popularity and became the third political force in the city council of Kristiansand with 13.4% of the votes.

[48][49] The main issues for the party are law and order, increased help for the elderly and disabled, and a restrictive immigration and asylum policy.

The party opposes mass immigration and increased Islamic influence, fearing that Western liberal values such as human rights and the Christian heritage will be endangered.

The party believes that Norway's liberal values will be put in danger if a "Muslim mass immigration" is accepted.

[57] The party also claims that the current Norwegian refugee-policy is cynical in that it seeks to help the few refugees who can afford the journey to Norway, when there are millions of people suffering worldwide without such possibilities.

The Norway Democrats seek to change the refugee-policy to instead helping people outside the Norwegian border.

Supportive of Israel, the party proposes to move the Norwegian embassy to what it describes as "the country's capital, Jerusalem.

[61][62] In the 2005 parliamentary election, the Democrats were endorsed by former boxer Ole Klemetsen and former pop singer Gry Jannicke Jarlum, who both stood as low-key candidates.

[65][66][67] Country artist Åsmund Åmli stood as a low-key candidate for the party in both the 2007 and 2011 local elections.