Methods for making a heterogeneous 
polymer blend comprising one or more 
anionic polymers, one or more cationic polymers, and one or more non-ionic polymers, which method comprises (a) adding to a non-neutral solution a first amount of 
polymerization initiator and one or more anionic or cationic monomers, wherein each 
monomer has the same charge; (b) adding a second amount of the 
polymerization initiator and one or more non-ionic monomers; (c) adding a third amount of the 
polymerization initiator and one or more ionic monomers that are oppositely charged from the monomers of (a); adding stepwise, a fourth amount of the polymerization initiator to react any 
residual monomer, and (e) neutralizing the resulting 
polymer blend. Also claimed are heterogeneous 
polymer blends containing polymers formed from one or more anionic, cationic, and non-ionic monomers, either polymerized in situ or separately and then combined. Also claimed are methods for increasing the filler content of paper or 
paperboard, which methods comprises (a) combining the heterogeneous 
polymer blend with a 
precipitated calcium carbonate filler; (b) combining the resulting mixture with a pulp 
slurry; and (c) 
processing the resulting 
slurry mixture to form a sheet of paper or 
paperboard. Finally, also claimed are methods of increasing the filler content of paper or 
paperboard, which method comprises (1) combining either the heterogeneous blend or the 
precipitated calcium carbonate filler with a pulp 
slurry, (2) combining the remaining component with the pulp slurry; and (c) 
processing the resulting pulp slurry mixture to form a sheet of paper or paperboard.