> Makes me wonder if there is a school of testing that deliberately tries to restrict meaningful assertions to higher level tests, so that their "exercise" part

> Makes me wonder if there is a school of testing that deliberately tries to restrict meaningful assertions to higher level tests, so that their "exercise" part is cheaper to maintain? That's a nice summary of the effect I observe in the bubble I work in, but I'm sure it is not deliberate but Hanlon's razor applies. With sufficient freedom for interpretation it is what the maturity model of choice requires.