Images of power – portraits of power and democracy perceptions describes how modern Danes perceive power in society and their own role in the democracy. The portraits in the book present 11 ”ordinary men and women”, people we know from our everyday lives.

The qualitative interviews reject the stereotypical power perception that divides Denmark into haves and have nots or pits “the little man” against the system. In fact, the Danes have an informed and nuanced perception of power, be it political, economic, social or cultural. They see power as being dispersed as opposed to concentrated and, most importantly, the Danes agree – across gender, age, class, economic and social status – that “I am in power.” They share a great belief in individual autonomy is the will to “make on my own” – the disabled welfare recipient, the cab driver as well as the lawyer.