This paper discusses a new class of high performance polyethylene-based anion exchange membranes (PE-AEMs) that contain a wide concentration range of pendant (flexible) ammonium chloride (NR(3)(+)Cl(-)) groups and with or without a cross-linked PE matrix structure. The chemistry involves a metallocene-mediated polymerization of ethylene, silane-protected alpha,omega-aminoolefin [C(x)N(SiMe(3))(2)], with or without styrenic diene (crosslinker), to form ethylene/C(x)N(SiMe(3))(2) copolymers and ethylene/C,N(SiMe(3))(2)/diene terpolymers, respectively. The resulting co- and ter-polymers were completely soluble in common organic solvents and were solution-casted into uniform films (thickness, 50-70 mu m; without backing material) and then thermal cross-linked in ethylene/C(x)N(SiMe(3))(2)/diene case, further interconverting the silane-protected amino groups into the desired -NR(3)(+)Cl(-) groups (R: H, CH(3), and C(3)H(7)) under solid state conditions. The resulting PE-NR(3)(+)Cl(-) and cross-linked x-PE-N(CH(3))(3)(+)Cl(-) membranes were systematically studied to understand how the PE structure (-NR(3)(+)Cl(-) concentration, R group, cross-linking density, ete.) affects ionic conductivity, water uptake, film stability, and ion selectivity. For comparison, several commercially available AEMs were also examined. Evidently, an x-PE-N(CH(3))(3)(+)Cl(-) membrane, with 28.1 mol % -N(CH(3))(3)(+)Cl(-) groups and 0.2 mol 96 cross-linkers, shows moderate water swelling and outperforms all commercial membranes with exceptionally high ionic conductivities of 119.6 mS/cm in 2 N HCl solution and 78.8 mS/cm in 2 N HCl-0.2N CuCl solution at room temperature.