Abstract: A process for anionic polymerization of acrylic and/or methacrylic acid derivatives or their ammonium salts with easily produced initiators. Specifically, the initiators are ammonium salts of resonance-stabilized nitrogen anions. The introduction of such initiators provides a maximum amount of structural variation, while inducing the controlled anionic polymerization of monomers at room temperature. The anionic polymerization is also applicable to acrylonitrile or methacrylonitrile or their derivatives. The polymerization process of the present invention provides polymers with definite molecular weight and limited molecular weight distribution.