ABSTRACT
The increase of the presence of populism in many areas of social life means that it requires scientific interest and, above all, balanced and in-depth reflection. For these reasons, it is worth looking at this phenomenon and considering its significance in the context of public administration. The starting point for the considerations in this chapter will be an attempt to characterise the phenomenon of populism in general and its specific features, complete with a presentation of socio-political mechanisms which produce it. Next, we shall examine the origins and essence of populism in the Visegrád Group countries (V4) and the authors attempt to assess its impact on the operation of public administration in these countries. The conclusions will indicate that both populist and liberal-reformist parties have not managed to avoid populist slogans and behaviours.
