2-Mercaptobenzothiazolyl methacrylate (MBTM) was synthesized by the reaction of 2-mercaptobenzothiazole and methacrylyl chloride in tetrahydrofuran at -18°C. MBTM was found to polymerize in the presence of 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN), n-BuLi, and UV light. From the kinetic studies of radical polymerization of MBTM with AIBN in benzene at 60°C, the overall activation energy was determined to be 18.9 kcal/mole, and the rate of polymerization (R) was expressed as Rp= k[AIBN]0.5[MBTM], where k is the overall polymerization rate constant. From these results this polymerization was confirmed to proceed via an ordinary radical mechanism. This monomer (M2) was also copolymerized radically with styrene (M1) at 60°C, and the resulting copolymerization parameters were determined as r1= 0.042, r2= 0.20, Q2= 4.09, and e2= 1.39. The thermal stability and the photodegradation behavior of the polymers were examined, and they were compared with those of the related polymers.