Everything you need to know about tonight’s GOP debate

With a trimmed-down field of 8, the Republican Party hopes to move one step closer to finding its 2016 presidential candidate Tuesday in Wisconsin.

The fourth GOP debate, set to be held at the Milwaukee Theater and broadcasted on Fox Business, will address most of the same topics as the Oct. 28 CNBC debate, like jobs, taxes, international diplomacy and the overall health of the U.S. economy.

But for the first time this debate season, candidates will not make opening statements, and they'll have more time to explain their arguments. For an initial answer to a question, candidates will get 90 seconds to respond. For rebuttals, they'll get 60 seconds. There will also be brief closing statements at the end of Tuesday's debate.

The debate comes as retired neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson continues moving toward the top of the polls, tying and even passing front-runner Donald Trump in most tallies across the country. But Carson's surge has prompted intense scrutiny from media outlets across the country, leaving serious questions for Tuesday night:

Will Carson, and the debate field as a whole, be able to keep conversation away from their personal lives and focused on the political issues at hand?

Can Trump sustain his early polling season success with Carson and others surging?

Can U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, who rose to third place after the CNBC debate, continue to hold off Florida rival Jeb Bush?

After the CNBC debate prompted a largely negative reaction from candidates and the Republican National Committee, the moderators from Fox Business have promised to stick to politics.

With all of that being said, here are five likely topics to be discussed:

1. The media's role in debates

It's no secret the GOP has been working diligently to have more say in a debate format that so far has produced a three-hour CNN marathon and last month's furor between candidates and CNBC moderators.

2. Police violence

With a highly-publicized officer-involved-shooting of a 6-year-old in Louisiana on Nov. 6, and several other incidents making headlines across the country over the past two weeks, the topic of police violence is constantly on the political radar.

3. Racial tension at the University of Missouri

A current event drawing attention from media across the world could allow candidates to separate themselves from the rest of the pack on more general ongoing topics like race relations in the United States.

4. International trade

With the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement still fresh in mind, the candidates were able to touch briefly on the issue last month during the CNBC debate. But with more business-minded moderators and a leading candidate in Trump who loves to talk trade, there's no reason to think it won't happen more on Tuesday.

5. Jeb Bush

Once thought as the likely favorite to win the Republican nomination, the son of former President George H. W. Bush and brother of President George W. Bush is struggling just to stay on the main stage. With some calling for Bush to drop out completely, the former governor of Florida has another chance to right his campaign ship on Tuesday.

Tuesday's undercard got underway at 4 p.m. on Fox Business with the GOP's four lower-polling candidates: Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

At 6 p.m., the main stage will feature Trump, Carson, former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and U.S. Senators Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Rand Paul.

The main event will be moderated by Fox Business anchors Neil Cavuto and Maria Bartiromo, along with Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Gerard Baker.

Contact Chris Kudialis at ckudialis@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4593. Find him on Twitter: @kudialisrj