Stanger was the recipient of several research fellowships and grants between 1991 and 1995, focusing on Eastern European languages and foreign policy studies.

In her book, One Nation Under Contract: The Outsourcing of American Power and the Future of Foreign Policy, published in 2009, Stanger argues that poor oversight of U.S. government contractors in Afghanistan and Iraq has squandered American resources, exacerbating domestic unemployment and deficit problems.

[5] Stanger is writing two new books, titled Consumers Versus Citizens: How the Internet Revolution is Remaking Global Security and Democracy's Public Square and Who Elected Big Tech?

On March 2, 2017, Stanger accompanied political scientist Charles Murray as his academic escort to a Middlebury College speaking engagement on campus at Wilson Hall.

[9] Stanger was injured outside the McCullough Student Center during an attack by protesters attempting to obstruct and damage the vehicle she and guest speaker Murray were riding in as they left the campus.

[15] Patton later issued a statement, saying the school would conduct an investigation into the sequence of events and then determine what actions to take for those individuals who were involved.