The present invention relates to improved viscosification agents for a variety of aqueous solutions which comprise a family of intramolecular polymeric complexes (i.e., polyampholytes) which are copolymers of metal styrene sulfonate/methacrylamidoproplytrimethylammonium chloride (MAPTAC). The metal styrene sulfonate is an anionic monomer, while MAPTAC is cationically charged. These polyampholytes have approximately 1 to about 99 mole % of the anionic monomer and approximately 1 to about 99 mole % of the cationic moiety present within the macromolecular structure. These groups are not necessarily present in an equimolar charge ratio. The excess undissociated charge allows for facile dispensability or solubility of the polyampholytes into low ionic strength aqueous solutions.