A series of amphoteric polyacrylamides with different molecular weights and charges were prepared by the copolymerization of acrylamide with sodium acrylate and a subsequent Mannich reaction. The copolymerization was carried out with a redox initiation system via inverse emulsion polymerization. Reaction conditions, factors affecting emulsion stability, and applications as retention aids in papermaking were studied. Experiments showed that an ideal retention aid and a stable latex with wheat-straw pulp of a shorter fiber length could be obtained under the following conditions: the acrylamide/formaldehyde/dimethylamine ratio was 1/1/1.2, a medium of aldehyde and amine was prepared first and then was dropped into an inverse emulsion of anionic polyacrylamide, the reaction temperature was 45degreesC, the reaction time was 4 h, and the pH was 5.0. When the anionic degree was 5%, the cationic degree was greater than 20%, the molecular weight was between 2 and 3 million, and the filler retention was higher.