Is plutocracy a permanent problem in liberal-democratic regimes?

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"Plutocracy" means government by the rich, from Greek ploutos, meaning wealth.
"Democracy", of course, means government by the people, from Greek demos, meaning the common people.

Is there something inherent in democracy that turns it into plutocracy, to some extent or other?
And if so, what can we do about it? Or would the cure be worse than the disease?
Let's discuss these issues.

Before you come to the meeting, please read the following:

• Two short articles by William Graham Sumner (1840 - 1910):
"Definitions of Democracy and Plutocracy"
http://www.libertarianism.org/publications/essays/definitions-democracy-plutocracy
"The Conflict of Plutocracy and Democracy"
http://www.libertarianism.org/publications/essays/conflict-plutocracy-democracy

• This 2015 article by Jeffrey Edward Green of the University of Pennsylvania argues that inequalities in wealth necessarily undermine equality of opportunity:
"Liberalism and the Problem of Plutocracy"
https://www.sas.upenn.edu/polisci/sites/www.sas.upenn.edu.polisci/files/Green-2015-Constellations.pdf

• As an optional reading, here is a 2013 speech by Noam Chomsky:
"The U.S. Behaves Nothing Like a Democracy, But You'll Never Hear About It in Our 'Free Press'"
http://www.alternet.org/print/visions/chomsky-us-poses-number-threats-future-humanity-our-youll-never-hear-about-it-our-free-press

We begin the meeting by going around the table giving each person a chance to talk for a couple of minutes about what they thought of the readings and also what other insights they might want to share on the general issue. (If you don't want to speak, you don't have to, but everyone gets a chance!) After this, we have a group discussion until the café closes at 6:00.