"Public office" refers to a job or position that is held by someone in the government or a governmental organization. It involves working to serve and make decisions for the benefit of the public and the community as a whole. Full definition
«I had never served in public office before, I had never been part of the traditional party clubs and hadn't gone to all the meetings,» he notes. (sciencemag.org)
The guidelines for holding public office refer to duties of accountability and honesty. (politics.co.uk)
A consistent pattern from the convictions against sitting lawmakers has been their use of public office for private gain. (wamc.org)