What the GOP candidates will likely be talking about in the first big debate of 2016
Ten Republican candidates will square off Thursday night in the first official debate of the 2016 Republican primary.
If the last election cycle is any indication, two topics will be at the forefront: the economy and national security/foreign policy.
According to data compiled by The Winston Group, more than a quarter of the 719 questions asked of candidates during the 2012 debates were on the economy. Another 20% of the questions involved national security.
Both the economy and national security are set to be key issues again in the 2016 election, which will feature 17 major candidates. And it's likely that the top 10 candidates who made the debate stage - as well as the seven who will participate in a separate debate - will be asked plenty of questions about the economy at large and America's role in an increasingly active foreign-policy stage.
Here's a look at the data:
