Chapter 8 pulls together the examples infused throughout the body of the book to show that, despite the odds, political regimes in small states—the vast majority of which are democratic—can be both remarkably adaptive and remarkably resilient. A close examination of political practices demonstrates how personalization and informal politics is the key to explaining both successes and failures. This argument has particular relevance in small states where there is increased social proximity. However, it also has wider implications for scholars of comparative politics and democratic consolidation in particular where the recent tendency has been to downplay the role of intentional agents in theoretical explanations. Most importantly, it provides a nuanced and clearer-eyed analysis of the strengths and limitations of personality-driven politics, a phenomenon of growing importance to democracies across the globe. By studying politics in small states, something is learned about large states, too.