This chapter develops the theory of regional cooperation driven by mutual interest in stability and protection for heads of state. It also provides justifications for the theory’s top-down focus on the interests of heads of state within RIOs, which are often considered actors in their own right. The chapter contextualizes the book’s focus on leader survival, and presents the argument regarding why some heads of state turn to RIOs and co-members as part of their multipronged survival strategies. The chapter elaborates on the criteria of “good standing,” and the salience of good standing for RIO members. The chapter also considers alternative explanations and whether they generate similar predictions regarding regional cooperation. The chapter concludes with a discussion of observable implications and testable hypotheses derived from the theory, for which I provide evidence in the remainder of the book.