ABSTRACT
The aim of this chapter is to discuss the phenomena of competing ideas and ideational disruption as well as their impact on the institutional foundations of public administration in the Visegrád countries (V4). The discussion is based on the assumption that the basic source of both the development and collapse of institutions is the nature of their relationships with ideas. The touchstone of the competitiveness of ideas is the strength and sustainability of their impact on institutions. The latter, in turn, determine the shape and mechanisms of operation of public administration. In the first part of the chapter, the phenomenon of competing ideas and ideological breakthroughs is conceptualised. In the next part, the conceptualisation is used to explain the logic of institutional changes and their effects on public administrations in the V4. The final part reviews the conclusions drawn from the findings.
