Patrick Buchanan likes to believe he represents true conservatism.

A candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, Buchanan wants to get the country back on a prospering economic track, said Guy Anderson, an unofficial spokesman with the Buchanan campaign. The nation is in an economic slump and Buchanan wants to revive it, Anderson said.

To achieve this, Buchanan has developed a long-term strategy to make the United States the world's first industrial power.

Buchanan's platform focuses on broad tax cuts, including cutting income tax and abolishing capital gains tax for the working and middle classes. It also would mean 50 percent capital gains cuts for people who make more than $50,000 a year.

"Tax cuts encourage investments," Anderson said. "Buchanan believes that this will stimulate the economy and create jobs. He wants to get the economy moving."

But a capital gains tax cut may not be enough to help the nation,, said Thomas Fox, professor of economics.

"There isn't a lot of evidence that this would stimulate the economy," Fox said. "What this country needs is to expand firms that would create jobs. I think that a capital gains tax cut would probably just stimulate more stock and bond trade."

The nation's lack of vigorous economic growth is probably the most significant problem, Fox said, adding that he does not think Congress would vote in favor of a capital gains tax cut.

In addition, Buchanan wants to provide investment tax credits for business and manufacturing and to increase employment opportunities and renew the industrial base.

Buchanan plans to freeze federal spending, hiring and salaries. By rolling back the midnight congressional pay to 50 percent and by donating $50,000 of the presidential salary to charity, Buchanan hopes to reduce the numbers of executives making millions while workers struggle to pay their bills.

One of Buchanan's plans is to impose a two-year moratorium on all new federal regulations.

Buchanan wants to break the power of the federal buracracy, Anderson said, adding that he is opposed to quotas and feels that people should be hired based on merit, not race or gender.

"His position is that the government should stay out of people's lives," Anderson said. "Pat believes that there are too many government regulations, which bog down business and are counterproductive."

He also plans to limit terms for Congress members.

"If eight years was long enough for a great president like George Washington, it's long enough for a mediocre congressman," Anderson said.

Although he has admitted it would take some type of "celestial intervention" to win the nomination over President Bush, Buchanan said he thinks his campaign has made Bush a better candidate.

"Pat believes that Bush has betrayed (Ronald) Reagan's conservative principles and has to be challenged," Anderson said. "By running, even though he might not win, he has brought issues to the public forum."